


Beginning of GyVt

by DarkSoul_Projects



Category: RWBY
Genre: Adventure, Gen, Mystery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-07
Updated: 2019-01-07
Packaged: 2019-10-06 03:52:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 22,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17338082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkSoul_Projects/pseuds/DarkSoul_Projects
Summary: Two days has passed since Team RWBY stop Dr. Merlot from unleashing his experimental Grimm onslaught across Vale. Now Professor Ozpin has assigned another mission to Team RWBY for another recon mission within Everest Forest, with unanswered questions and untested suppressions this mission may be the beginning of truth or a historical backdrop of Vale.





	1. A Forest Called Everest

**A Forest Called Everest**

A young lady with silver eyes and dark hair blush to dim red, strolls in an enthusiastic way through the courtyard of Beacon. She's more joyful for the most part, skipping her way to the center of the school passing fellow students that matched her uniform and teachers that watched her red cloak dance in the air. She reaches an elevator that will send her to the office of Beacon where she only has been there once in her entire school year. She was extremely nervous when she was called up to the office of Beacon being the only one that was a witness to a criminal or a spy in the walls of Beacon she felt pressured as she was alone with three instructors, but now she's not alone, she has her team with her…

"Speaking of which, where are they."

The young girl thought to herself thinking about her last mission and how they actually were in more danger than they ever have been before, she was more excited than afraid as she thought back closing her eyes to get a better picture

"Hey Ruby."

A familiar voice coming from the direction that she came the little girl named Ruby opened her eyes like she awakened from a dream to see a face that she was happy to see. The complexion of the girl was dark compared to Ruby, yet her hair was lighter with its minty taste coloring. She wary the school uniform as well.

"Hey there Emerald!" She said in a loud but cute way.

As Ruby strolled towards her, she began to speed up for a massive hug, like she would for her sister. But she quickly realized that she'll make everything awkward if she did, so instead she slowed down to only give a proper handshake. After the handshake the young girl, Emerald began talking cheerfully.

"I heard you and your team completed a mission that was extremely dangerous, even more dangerous than that other guy named Roman that we captured."

"Well, you can say that it was a surprise, I thought it was going to be a little kill Grimm and fix problems you know, but it actually turned into a mission that I'll never forget."

"Oh yeah, did I say thank you for helping us during the breach." Ruby continued talking as Emerald closed her eyes and smiled.

"Yes, this would be the 5th or 6th time you have said thank you." She nodded and laughed.

"Oh, okay my bad can't let a thank you go to waste." Ruby said as she gave her a thumbs up and blushed a smile.

Ruby didn't know Emerald very well as she was an exchange student from Haven to compete in the 40th Vytal Festival tournament, she seems quite friendly for a person that might be an opponent in the tournament.

"Well Ruby tell me more about this mission."

Emerald said with a tilted grin seeming as though she was interested in the subject making Ruby more anxious to tell her story.

"So there we were, me Ruby Ross and my 6 foot tall,.. or was she 5'8",.. never mind my big sister Yang Xiao Long we were right next to each other, planning our next move against a monsters modified Death Stalker. With my partner down and the Death Stalker getting more aggressive I gave an order to the ninja of the team Blake to distract the Death Stalker while we find an opening and then I reload my Crescent Rose to…"

"You can at least start at the beginning Sis."

Ruby stopped talking as both she and Emerald looks towards the friendly voice to see a young girl with purple eyes and dim brilliant hair worn free that blurs to pale gold at the tips. She is by all accounts wearing something other than a uniform this outfit comprises of a profound caught cream vest over a low profile dark shirt.

As Ruby's face explodes with expressions she started to talk to the blond-haired girl.

"Hey, Yang why are you in that outfit?"

Ruby paused a second and lifted her left arm to point at her sister while saying.

"Did I miss something?"

Ruby started to shake thinking of her sister and her team doing roguish deeds without their leader, as Yang started to smile with laughter.

"Maybe you did or maybe you didn't, it's your call sis." Yang said with a hint of sarcasm.

Ruby fell to the ground slowly, defeated like a child in preschool missing a field trip, Emerald made a little fake smile as Ruby was having her break down. While the majority of this was going on two others came in view.

"You didn't get the message from Professor Ozpin."

A mellow voice said while she walked slowly like she had all the time in the world. The fair-skinned young girl has amber eyes and long black hair that reaches to about half of her spine, a ribbon tied with a large bow on the top of her head. She was also not in uniform, yet it was a white slipcover dash up yield shirt with a dark sew and three-quarter sleeves.

While Ruby was beginning to stand up she started looking through her pouch for her scroll that she always end up misplacing, as she was looking for her scroll Yang started a conversation with Emerald.

"What's up ,your name's Emerald right."

"Yes I'm Emerald and your Yang the muscle of team RWBY, I've seen you in action during the breach, you're impressive no doubt."

Yang reacted with a grin as if she enjoyed the fact that someone was watching her.

Emerald moved her eyes off of Yang to glare and inspect Blake as she began to speak.

"And Blake I didn't get a chance to see you while you was fighting Grimm, but I've heard enough to know your stealthy and quick on your feet making you a foe to be reckoned with."

"Well... thank you." Blake said in a calm and collected voice, yet you can tell she wasn't comfortable of hearing that she's been talked about.

During this Ruby eventually found her scroll, as she pulled the device out of her pouch she glazed up to Yang and Blake to notice the other girl who had her back turned looking to the courtyard. Ruby started to walk as she hold her scroll in her hand, she ducked down so she wouldn't impede the others discussion passing up Yang to have a superior perspective of the young lady that she knows now as her accomplice and close friend. Ruby didn't speak until she was right in front of her. As her paled skin mixed with her pale skied eyes, she looked away as if cancerous lights tainted her face. A warped scar runs vertically down her left eye that showed no guilty as she looked away.

As Ruby began to talk she noticed she too was in a different attire a white, twofold breasted coat with dark channeling sleeves.

"Weiss…Are you okay?"

Weiss didn't respond as she started looking down her folded arms like she was lost in thought, you would never catch Weiss like this not even on her worst day. This day was different even though Ruby ask she knew Weiss wasn't okay, since their last mission a couple of days earlier she's been lease bossy and more ill-humored. Matter of fact Blake has been more talkative than her.

"Weiss.. I need you to talk to me."

Ruby reached out her hand to grab Weiss left hand to begin talking again.

"I'm your leader but more importantly I'm your partner you're not alone we all make mistakes I'm not perfect ether."

While Ruby was talking to Weiss the others was explaining their last mission to Emerald.

"The old guy was experimenting on the Grimm like lab dogs and he throw all he had at us but we're still here so you can say he failed."

Yang said with full confidence and grinning to the fact that they stop an insane scientist in his tracks, but Yang started to have a sharp pain in her throat when she thought of the scientist Doctor Merlot, it was a pain of guilt and regret during the last fight. Yang looked back to see Weiss lifting her hand out of Ruby's reach, Weiss spinned around on her left foot while looking down as her mouth moved to mumble words. Yang wasn't able to comprehend on what the pale skinned girl had said.

Yang paused for a moment, she wanted to say something but couldn't form any words, as the young heiress made haste to the elevator she gleamed right into Yang's eyes with no emotions to speak of. Unsettled, shed didn't know how to comfort her in this condition as Yang knew that Weiss has avoided her the past couple of days. Emerald knew something was bothering the heiress so she didn't acknowledge to speak with her she glared over to see Yang walking towards Ruby, Blake also paused their conversation to watch the others, she eventually started back talking to Emerald.

"I apologize for Weiss, she's been acting…"

"Like you." Yang interrupted with an annoyed voice as Ruby and Yang walked up to Blake and Emerald.

"Yang please stop let me go talk to her." Blake explained not waiting to hear their opinion on the matter, she went over to the other side of the room where Weiss was standing, you can hear the bell to change classes ring.

"Well it's been fun catching up with you guys, but I gotta run." Emerald said with a short bow with her arms around her back.

"Okay Em, will see you around." Yang gave Emerald a left wink, as Blake gave a shy, but polite bow back to Emerald.

"Bye Emerald." Ruby said with crinkly of sadness in her voice she slowly walked up to Yang with heavy silky water in her legs. Yang blinked with worry.

"Rubies... What should we do."

"I honestly don't know, for the first time I don't..."

Ruby sounded more gloomy the more she spoke, as if she gave her all for an unwanted result.

Yang settled her left hand onto Ruby's slumped shoulders, the same regretful feeling started to flow through the girl's throat. Still she glanced her eyes forward to only flare her vision to her other teammates, as Blake was talking, Weiss's eyes looked slightly knotty as if she had lack of sleep or maybe her emotions was taking its toll.

"Weiss... We both know you can't stay silent forever…" Blake paused as Weiss eyes blinked slowly in spite of the shin of her face lifting up to finish listening to her teammate.

"That said, I will not push you to speak, silent or not you're still my friend."

The harsh yet truthfully words started to echo through Weiss's mindless brain. Creating brackets of memories of the time when Blake and her were not in terms of each other, as Blake walked towards the others Weiss scratch the heel of her boots as she started to form words of her on.

"Thank you."

Blake tilt her head to only get a partial view of the heiress, however she wasn't surprised of her teammates response, nor did she show any sign of relief nevertheless she continued to turn away from Weiss to meet eyes with Yang, as she paused her delicate walk to simply say.

"Yang you need to apologize."

"Apologize, for what?!"

The joy of curiosity started to flow, as if that question cured the little rose soggy shoulders to allow her to move freely, while she took a normal thinking pose.

"Are you serious Blake. I highly doubt I should."

Yang continue as she placed her right hand on her wide hips. You would say she had a fake expression when she dragged her last sentence, nevertheless Blake knew something was up with the blonde.

"Yang just list…"

"No... Period." Yang released her hand off her hips.

Blake began to show a little imperfect vibes as she continued.

"Yang list.."

"No you listen, she can't be a huntress if she can't take criticism." With a serious yet calm tone."

"What criticism?" Ruby sweetly state.

"But you're her teammate let alone her friend she shouldn't be expecting harsh remarks from you like that."

"Blake what harsh remarks?" As clueless as Ruby was it would seem she wasn't making any sign of headway of understanding the situation.

"I wasn't harsh I was telling her the truth," the blonde lifted her arms in unison of her hands, "That shouldn't be considered harsh."

Yang slightly shrugged her shoulders like she bluntly made her point in the matter but it certainly didn't lift the mood.

"Yang I don't understand, what did you do?"

Ruby was getting a little hasty as she somewhat bent her knees, but Blake and Yang was ignoring her, as if her words didn't even leave a dent in their ear drums.

"How can you say that, obviously I know the difference between the two and what you said was certainly harsh."

During this Blake was showing more emotion while less stiff as she progressed. The way her eyes arched while talking set off a shocking pulse through Ruby's spine as if she felt a sign of Déjà vu, it was like she sensed a familiar vibe that was resurrecting from Blake.

"Also I…" Yang once more interrupted Blake's protest.

"Nope this conversation is over and do…"

"Interrupting me is starting to get old Yang."

Blake bit back with a calm passion, unfolding her arms to rest her weightless palms on her hips.

Meanwhile, Ruby continued to observe Yang through a more skeptical view as she noticed her sister balling her fist. She wouldn't interrupt Blake like this, nor would she ignore me without it being a major problem. Ruby clapped her hands together like a fifth grader preparing to pray for lunch, her cap began to levitate from the force of her hands, she released the rest of her energy into words.

"Yang what is up with you? Blake what did she do?…"

Ruby paused to see that neither Yang or Blake acknowledging the red head's question. Yang openly released the pressure from her folded fist while staying vigilant against Blake, but Ruby wasn't going to let this progress any longer as she took a rooted gasp to get her point across.

"Big sis, Blake, am I a ghost or a fantasy because you both are brushing me off one." Ruby continued but this time she got the attention of everyone in the facility.

"Now tell me what happened, did you call Weiss fat, did you steal her notes again, did you do a prank and went overboard, what exactly did you do sis.

Ruby ended her rant with eye to eye contact with Yang, while making her turn from Blake to the little rose. Weiss also was watching the confrontation between the two but she noticed a zipping spin of air echoing from the closed elevator door. She folded her hands together to rest them on her waist as she patiently waited for the door to open. The nipping draft of the elevator was soothing to the heirs as it opened to show a person inside, Weiss slowly gazed upon the individual.

A middle-aged woman with light-blonde hair tied in a bun with a twist hanging down the right side of her face. Her eyes are splendid green and she wears thin ovular glasses. She has dangling blue-green hoops that match the hanging pendant on her neckline. The woman stepped out, stopping in between Weiss and the elevator as she gracefully adjust her glasses will speaking.

"Oh excellent, kills me the trouble to go out and haunt for you four, (she turned on her right high heel as she positioned herself back in the elevator) Professor Ozpin is waiting... Team RWBY." The light blonde woman sound like she was giving an order then just casual talk as the team didn't hesitate, even Weiss cut off her depressed mood to follow the professor's demand.

"On our way Professor Goodwitch."

Ruby said while bursting through Weiss, being the first to enter the elevator. Yang and Blake both walked in as Weiss was rolling her eyes at Ruby's actions, lastly Weiss entered turning to the closing door of the elevator without making eye contact with the professor. Goodwitch was positioned behind the team as Yang and Blake was on the right both calm as huntress should be, yet when she gazed at their leader, she showed no sign of movement as if she wasn't breathing and then the professor looked up and down the young girl while folding her arms.

"Ruby Ross."Professor Goodwitch verbally said as she started to tap her finger on her right forearm.

"She noticed." Ruby quietly said to herself, as if the professor would hear her thoughts. Ruby relaxed her body and panted heavily in such a way that she might have held toxic fumes in her breath. Ruby quickly turned around knowing that she wouldn't continue until she see her face, an oddly smirk came from Yang, but it quickly evaporator to thin air when Goodwitch tilt her glasses to get a better view of Yang. She disregarded Yang to continued the fear that she made in their leader.

"Ms. Ross do I have to remind you that Professor Ozpin is openly assigning you and your team a mission that is only qualified for two years students and up."

"Yeahhh, no, nooo, I mean noo ma'am." The little rose struggled.

"Well it would seem you are more prepared for history class then combat Ms. Ross."

Ruby didn't know what to say as if every word in her brain was wiped clean, she started to say whatever came to her mind without thinking how silly it might sound.

"Well haha, you know what they say you never stop learning…(Ruby closed her silly remark with her hands as she blocked her mouth from view.)

"That sounded better in my head."

You could barely hear the last of Ruby's sentence with the professor giving a vicious stare, Yang didn't make it any better with a jolly made snicker as she pushed herself not to laugh. Blake looked away from Yang so she wouldn't follow suit. Professor Goodwitch was about to unleash her rage as she holds a lot in during the day, with the noise of the elevator alerting the passengers that they will exit soon.

The light blonde took a deep breath so she could restrain her emotions with the door clinging open and the light seeping into the elevator you can see that the room is as big and organized as the room before. Each and every one of the ladies calmly pressed forward to the gear like room. Without including Ruby this is the first time that they have ever been in the Headmaster's office, Weiss slowed down to admire the architecture of the office. The wheels, cogs, and gears moved like traffic on a long highway bridge during rush hour. Blake herself seemed surprised to see how well the office was shaped up to have its on personality or even Ozpin's, Yang on the other hand was browsing to, however she glazed passed Weiss to perceive how she was holding up, with that she quickly turned her head when the heirs started to look her way.

Ruby didn't change her tone but she was still amazed of the room as she got closer she noticed that the headmaster wasn't alone. A middle-aged man who is wearing a white jacket, with a dim undercoat and tie. His suit pants share an equal shading from his jacket and tucked into silver boots complemented in gray. His hair is dark, with some silver and hazy areas.

As they got closer Yang notice the man wearing one white glove as if he left the other one in his pocket or jacket, this wasn't the first time seeing him as he was with the other professors on the night of the dance. The team steadily paced their way to the end of professor Ozpin's desk as their heels and boots left the office with crackling echos.

Professor Goodwitch continue to walk as she place herself behind the man sitting in a crab like chair. The man began to stand with his weight gravitating with him, with first glance you could swear that he's not even close to his 50's or 40's at that matter he has tousled silver hair and thin colored brown eyes. He has black eyebrows, recommending that he may have had black hair when he was more youthful. He is wearing shaded glass spectacles and his outfit for the most part comprises of an unfastened dark suit over a fastened vest and green shirt.

"Good morning girls." As he fastened his right palm on a sliver like cane.

"Good morning Professor Ozpin..." Ruby said back cheerfully.

"And good morning to you too Generalll… Irongood." The playful like voice of the little rose didn't make the situation less embarrassing, while she squished her left eye as if her brain was hurting from thought.

"It's General Ironwood you dolt." The cold words took General Ironwood by surprise, as his more use to students or in his case soldiers to speak when only spoken to, but he shook off this thought and continue to speak proudly.

"Ms. Schnee it's nice to meet you again."

The General began to bow slightly physically indicating that he was showing fully respect to the heirs. Weiss acknowledge his bow with a nod. Ruby lifted her right hand to cover her lips from being read.

"You know him."

As the words gathered Weiss attention the heirs tilt her head to the little rose.

"You can say he's a friend of my...father."

Weiss showed a little hesitation during her pause, at the same time she stared down drifting in thought.

"Ohh." Ruby quietly added.

"It is with great honor to finally meet the full team RWBY, as most you know I'm the general of the Atlesian military, but also I'm the headmaster of Atlas Academy and it has come to my attention that you young ladies are vital to the future of huntresses, a prodigy you can say."

Ruby was beginning to redden knowing that the general was complimenting her and her team, an uncommon situation in her case.

"Thank you general but I wouldn't say prodigy."

The little rose started to play with her strings that kept her red hood in place.

"Ruby don't be rude…" Weiss whispered. "We appreciate the gratitude General Ironwood."

"Yeah there's nothing wrong with a little praise sis." Yang explained brightly.

"Well in your case boosting." Weiss muttered again with a lower voice than before, but this time Blake looked over to see if Yang had overheard the heirs, with no success it would seem the blonde didn't hear a thing.

"After reading through your past missions I would say you're ready for this assignment that we have thought about for a few days since your return." Ironwood finished his sentence with a nod to the other headmaster. The professor sat down as he began to make his claim.

"Thank you General, from spoiling the White Fang's hideout to facing off against an older friend of mine I would say this is a worthy assignment for you team RWBY."

"Girls, have you by any chance have heard of a place called Everest Forest?"

"Wha…" The light blonde professor sighed, but only Ozpin noticed.

Blake sighed as well and she hid her expression while the other girls responded.

"No sir." Ruby replied mannerly.

"Hmm...Nope, no sir." Yang said.

"I can't recall." Weiss thoughtful said.

"Well unlike other forest around Vale it's not referenced to a specific color." Ozpin said.

"Yeah." Yang placed her right hand on her hips.

"Why is that Professor? Was it named after the person that discovered it." The curious words from Ruby created a smile on Ozpin's face.

"Well not exactly Ms. Ross…"

"Everest's successor named the forest after him… I believe."

Blake unexpectedly answered Ruby's question.

"Correct." Ozpin said with a nod.

"Why haven't I've heard of this forest until now." Weiss showing interest into the topic.

"I have map at home and I use to study the names of places around Vale, but I don't recall Everest being a name of a forest." Ruby dawned on the name to form a possibility of where it might be on the map. But she felt stumped and begun to believe that she mistakenly overlooked the forest all together.

"I can assure you this forest isn't on the map of Remnant, even history books of your generation can't point you to the right direction, although a fictional book that was published 6 years ago and I have a copy or two, it would seem Ms. Belladonna and I have similar taste.

"..." Blake sighed not knowing what to say, as he continued.

"With this knowledge Ms. Belladonna should be well-informed of this forest.

"Haha being a bookworm has its perks." Yang joked.

"This was not intentional." Blake grieved the comment from Yang.

"Ms. Belladonna…" Ironwood spoke up after his silence, startling Blake "How much do you know about this forest."

"Well the story doesn't tell you much about the forest entirely, but it says that the trees are massive in height and the story was applying that the trees are mostly older compared to the others outside the forest with that the description of the trees gives a dark vibe that forms tension in the story…My apologizes for rambling."

"No need it was perfect." Ozpin smiled.

"Yes the forest isn't the important factor of the story, but what about the villagers that lived within the forest."General Ironwood continued.

"The village... The name wasn't mentioned, but it's a very small replica of Menagerie, only faunus lives there." She started to rub her dark ribbons with her left hand.

"Correct...For years I've sent huntsman and huntresses to the village to help guide the Grimm away from the village to show support to the people who live there."

"Wait...What? Professor I thought you said that the book was a fictional story." Yang tilted her hips as she waited for Ozpin to respond.

"A fictional story based off true events." Ozpin placed his hands together as he allowed his words to sink in. Blake showed a shocking expression as the other girls didn't show any drastic emotions, Weiss gazed over to Blake to see the cast of pale covering her face showing signs of worry maybe even fear.

"Place your scrolls on my desk please." Ozpin commanded.

The team of young girls all followed the kind orders of the headmaster, as they searched and dogged through their pouches. Within no time they each had their scrolls laying on Ozpin desks.

"I'm assigning you with team CFVY and a huntress for this mission so that you wouldn't be overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of Grimm." Ozpin began to type on his desk, it would seem that the headmaster's desk works like scroll in someway. The girls waited patiently as they observed the unreadable files transferring to the scrolls.

"I'm updating your maps within your scrolls so you can understand the size of this forest, with this update comes the rest of the information you will need for your mission." Ozpin released his fingers from the desk while deactivating the rest of the computer like desk.

Ruby proudly nodded as she grabbed her scroll to find a new file labeled "Team RWBY". The others followed suit as they began to adjust their new file to a position of their liking.

"My past huntsmen and huntresses all described the forest just like the story applies, so with that regard the massively tall trees with branches connecting to each other will cut off the sky and light above, sunlight will be extremely shortened so follow the information from your scrolls careful."

"Oh yeah Blake." The heirs whispered."(Weiss placed her scroll back in its respectable pouch) "What's the name of this book you all speak of, I've grown a little interest into this story."

"Well it's more of a novel than a book.." Blake began to think of the name as Yang started to speak herself.

"Same difference."

"I wouldn't think you would know the difference anyways." Weiss harshly criticized the blonde's intelligence.

"What?" Yang looked straight towards the heirs.

"Oh it's just a little criticism." Weiss spoke loudly in her mind but she didn't respond to Yang at all.

"No, Yang."(Blake placed her hand on top of the blonde's upper chest.) "Weiss the novel is named Bloody Tempest, I have a copy if you want to borrow it."

"Thank you that will be most appreciated." Weiss turned back to hear the rest of Ozpin's orders, as she did Yang took a deep breath calmly to control her temper, lucky the professors didn't notice the tension while Ozpin and Ironwood was speaking to each other as Ozpin tilted back to the girls.

"Also I would like you to pack extra gear that would lasted for two days at best."

"Huh" (Professor Goodwitch unfolded her arms with a surprised look.)

"Yess. Oh I mean yes sir." Ruby couldn't hold her excitement back.

"Professor Ozpin are you sure that's necessary?" Goodwitch crudely asked.

"Yes." Ozpin responded.

"What if they miss ready the information given, that forest is complex."

"They will complete the mission professor..."(Ozpin closed his eyes showing patience.)

"Honesty how are you so certain?" Professor Goodwitch asked the question more softly.

Weiss widened her eyes as she noticed Professor Goodwitch tone.

"Because...You will be accompanying them."

Shocked at first the green-eyed professor immediatley snapped back to her regular look. The General sighed softly without alerting the others.

"As of now your mission begins, follow Professor Goodwitch closely while learning from her and CFVY to make you better huntresses, but more importantly stay safe girls."

"Yes sir!" Team RWBY responded as a unit creating a base of echos across the office.

Ruby felt her blood boiling and was ready to release the hot steam of energy, but she kept her composure.

"And also Ms. Ross." Ozpin gathered her attention.

"Yes professor."

"I recommend you change your attire while you're packing." Ozpin grinned

"Haha, yeah thanks for the reminder." She started to blush. "Professor Ozpin, team RWBY will not let you down."

Ozpin and General Ironwood silently nodded while Professor Goodwitch sighed. Weiss gracefully bowed to the adults while Yang spoke.

"Don't worry Professor O we won't complete the mission to fast." Yang tilted her hand while she waved.

The girls all turned on the glass floor heading to the elevator with all different emotions. Blake was feeling iffy thinking of the novel and it's context, she began to rehash more memories of the novel as she quietly walked ahead of the team, while Ruby showed no anxiety of fear at the matter. Blake opened the elevator the young girls flooded in like a rainbow, she glanced her eyes to the professors noticing that Professor Goodwitch was still at the desk whispering to both Ozpin and Ironwood. She shook her head to avoid reading their lips

Blake entered the elevator with the others as she pressed the button for the first floor she felt a nerve wrecking pressure as the doors closed and the elevator began its ascend down. The pressure ceased to fade as she gave into her senses by turning around to view her team, low and behold the pressure was from the eyes of her team staring at her as if waiting to ask.

"What…?" Blake responded

"Blood Tempest huh…Sounds like more of a horror flick then a novel." Yang used her hands to make quotations while saying novel.

Weiss rolled her eyes.

"No wonder why I never heard of it... the name is horrendous, although I still would like to give it a read."

"It sounds like the story had a gory battle. I can imagine the description of the battles… ugh, but I still would like to know the story." Ruby never disappoints when it comes to making things sound more exciting as Blake began to talk.

"Well I haven't read Bloody Tempest in over a year…"

"Blake your book collection is the year itself." Yang commented.

"Ha ha." Blake sarcastically said. "But with all honesty I never finished it so you can say I forgot about it really, so it's best we take the novel with us on our mission."

At this moment team RWBY was without a doubt fixated on this book. Their necessity for seeking the truth sets the bar from other teams of Beacon they made small talk as they waited to exit the elevator.

* * *

 


	2. Hoping for the Best

* * *

**Professor Ozpin's Office**

After the elevator closed Professor Goodwitch migrated from whispering to normal talk as she walked in front of Ozpin's desk.

"Ozpin do you really think they're ready for this kind of mission?"

"Glynda we had this discussion I told you it was a two-year mission level." Ozpin calmly respond.

"This is not just another mission and you know that. This is Everest Forest you didn't tell me that!"(Her glasses moved with her mouth.) "I know you have faith in them but how can you be so certain that they are ready for this."

"Glynda you know that our schools and classes hardly prepare them for the unpredictable onslaughts that awaits them in the real world. Nether the Grimm, nor the enemy will show sympathy towards even the youngest of us… So yes they are not ready, but they are most efficient for this mission."

"No matter how much you argue with him nothing will wave his final decision… I've already tried." General Ironwood said as he step closer to Professor Goodwitch."

"If anything happens you can call for reinforcements from my fleet. I have two well-trained students that will stop at nothing to achieve each and every goal I set for them." Ironwood made a fist with his gloved hand.

"Your fleet will do more harm than good." Glynda viperous tone didn't surprise Ironwood as she turned on her right heel gracefully walking to the elevator.

Ironwood sighed while shaking his head.

"Some things never change."

As Ozpin began to speak he grabbed his cane while leaving his chair.

"I wish that was true."

His cane started to tap in a twin like fashion with his right leg, he gravitated toward the back window that was granting the room the most sunlight. As he started to gaze upon the beautiful and massive courtyard he noticed someone walking alone towards the school. A woman or girl to be exact, as for the way she dressed majority of the students would probably think she was lost or late for a magician show. The girl slowly yielded her pacing as she moved her pointy yet twisted hat with her thumb and index finger to look upon the school's towers but instead she saw a man looking down at her. She blinked not expecting to see anyone standing there. The headmaster began to grin, acknowledging that he will have company soon.

* * *

 

**Team RWBY's dorm**

The door cracked open with Yang pushing it with no effort. Revealing an ivory colored wall with a chelsea grey on the bottom of the wall and disorganized books in middle of the smooth black carpet, more likely they belong to Blake. Each side of the room had handmade white and chocolate-brown bunk beds, a stockpile of books kept the right one together while the left was more like a swing bed hanging on top of the other.

"I'm telling you Professor Goodwitch was acting a little off."

"Well you know how she is." Blake said with confidence as she started her search for the novel.

"This was different tho...wow." Interrupted by her sister as Ruby blazed through the room searching for her combat outfit and even packing her bag with ammo and other equipment that she might find suited for the mission. She stop in front of the bathroom door to speak to her team.

"We need to be packed and ready for this mission in ten minutes guys."

"Ruby where not running late." Weiss coldly stated.

"Oh okay… five minutes then." Ruby levitated with great speed into the bathroom.

Weiss sighed and shook her head as Blake continued to search for the book. She looked discouraged not knowing why her books were lying on the floor but she continued her search.

"Bloody Tempest, Bloody Tempest, Bloody… Aah!" Blake jumped on the wall like a four-legged insect.

"Blake are you okay?" Weiss asked with her eyes widened.

"No, Zwei!" Blake shook pointing at the pile of books as a black and white, midget like wolf tilt its head with confusion. The dog's mouth was holding a bloodish-black book from the spine.

"Is that the book Blake?" Weiss asked

"Yes." Blake closed her eyes.

"Aww Zwei you found it, good doggy." Yang said trying to sound cute and innocent. Zwei ran towards Yang letting go of the book entirely.

"I told you all to keep him away from my belongings."

In a blink of an eye she jumped of the wall to checking the books for damage. As she started organizing the pile of books, Weiss grabbed some germ sterilizer and napkins to clean the book that Zwei was holding.

"Zwei was only trying to help. Isn't that right little guy?" Yang got on her knees to reward the young dog with a soft snuggly hug.

Ruby busted through the bathroom door, revealing that she had changed her uniform into an outfit composed of a long-sleeve grey shirt with dark belted sleeves close to the finishes of the sleeves. Over top of the grey shirt is a black pinafore with two vertical lines of red sewing as well as her red hooded cloak ,with her bag in hand she seems ready for combat.

"What happened to my other combat skirt?"

"I took them to the cleaners." (Weiss continued to clean the book.) "After facing those exploding green Grimm our combat clothes were disgustingly foul in looks...and smell.

" _Ugh!"_

The whole team shivered thinking of the past smell of the suicidal Grimm.

"Thanks Bestie."

"You're welcome." Weiss said while cleaning the book.

"Now we have three minutes, double and triple check everything. We're going on a voyage ladies!" Ruby jumped with excitement getting the dogs attention.

Zwei started barking as he jumped on the little teen.

"Zwei!" The dog started licking Ruby as she shouted with laughter.

"Haha ,okay okay you can come too Zwei."

"Ruby we can't bring him." Weiss said.

"Why not? We didn't bring him last time." Ruby pouted.

"It's very unlikely that Professor Goodwitch would allow that." Weiss made another statement.

"She's right, Professor Goodwitch is already doubting our abilities, so it's best we keep him here." Blake stood up staring straight into the little rose eyes.

"Aww, maybe next time Zwei." Ruby pet Zwei gently on his head, a few seconds later her pocket made a familiar noise. She got on her feet while checking her pocket to show her scroll lighting up with a message.

"Guess what guys they already have our weapons in the aircraft."

"Well that was generous of them." Weiss cracked a grin.

Looking back at her white scroll she remembered the file that Ozpin had transferred. She swiped the home screen to the right as the file was hanging in the upper left corner. After pressing it, information flooded the screen regarding her team's weapons and semblances. It even showed aura status that linked through scroll to scroll. Ruby skimmed through the unneeded information to find the mission details section, she started reading the paragraph labeled "Extra Ammunition".

"Guys I think I understand why we're bringing extra ammo."

"Why sis?"

Everyone else looked up to listen.

"It says we're using the noise of our guns to get the Grimm's attention."

"So we're just a distraction." With her arms crossed Yang voice rose in pitch she looked at Blake.

"It says that Professor Goodwitch will explain the rest of the plain… There's more paragraphs but I'll read it later.

"Okay then let's get ready." Blake stated.

"Yeah you all should have a suitable amount of ammunition here, so we don't have to go to the armory." Weiss said will placing the book down on her bed.

The others followed suit with Ruby helping her sister pack a stack of red ammo shells in the front small pouch of the dark bag. Blake didn't take long to finish packing as she's use to traveling light, nevertheless smaller magazines of ammunition filled the side of her bag. As for Weiss she pulled a suitcase from the left corner of her bed to transfer her clean-cut and fused dust to her combat bag. She had up to twelve different categories of colors and variations to pick from, but she took two from each group to satisfy her needs. You hear nothing but zippers, ammo rattling like jewelry, and Zwei panting softly as he watches the girls move from bag to bag.

"You have the book Weiss." Blake asked.

"Of course… I'll carry it."

Weiss grabbed the red Gothic book as she through her bag on her right shoulder. The young girls took their time and inspected each other to see if either one of them was missing anything important. Team RWBY was ready. Blake, Weiss, and Yang all started their walk to the door.

"Wait!" The burst of air striking their eardrums made the girl's flare their vision towards Ruby.

"...We need someone to watch Zwei!" She plead with Zwei running in circles around Ruby's legs.

"The way his moving around he can take care of himself."

"Do you want him to go through your books again." Ruby said with a fake evil grin with Zwei barking after hearing the word book.

Blake eyes opened widely as she flipped her eyes to Zwei and her stuff.

"We need someone… now!"

Yang shrugged her shoulders as she smiled.

"That's easy."

Everyone watched Yang exiting the room to the grey walled hallway, the rest followed with little Ruby setting down her scroll to pick up Zwei. As Ruby existed the dorm she closed the door with her back leg. She watched as Yang knocked on a door across the hall.

"Yang, I highly doubt they're out of class." Blake bluntly spoke.

"Yeah your right." Yang turned around and leaned back on the door. While she was staring at the velvet red carpet she can see Weiss opening the novel from the corner of her eye.

"So what we're going to do now." With Ruby carrying Zwei like a mother holding an infant, Zwei began barking softly as he squeezed and fidget from her grip. He hopped a few feet to the other side of the hall as he slowed to sit down.

The dog started gazing upon a smiling, jaded eyed, girl with short orange hair, she was wearing the same uniform that Ruby had on earlier with black crew socks instead of tights.

"Hey guys!" The orange haired girl energetically greeted team RWBY.

"Hey Nora." Ruby grinned to ear to ear as the others waved or smiled back.

"Ohhh why you all dressed like that and you wasn't at breakfast either!"

"Our regular combat clothes are getting clean and Professor Ozpin called us to his office. Yang said.

"Oh yeah, you all smelled like stinky goo!" The girl started covering her nose pretending to still smell the clothes.

"Why your not in class Nora." Blake curiously asked.

"Well Professor Goodwitch needed to talk to Professor Oobleck in secret haha she's probably scolding him for something so he delayed class!"

"Hmm." Blake started holding her chin.

"Hmm, Sounds like you're thinking, do you know something I don't!" Nora's peaceful smile turned into an evil one.

"She probably went to him to talk about Everest Forest."

"Ever., What now. Heyy, (Nora began to point at team RWBY) you better not be going on another crime fighting roguish mission without meee!"

"Ozpin gave us this mission this time haha."

"And now you're going back out there without sharing the bad guys that's not fair I say. Not fair!" Her jaded eyes flickered with energy as she made a playful fist.

"Buttt you can still help." The little rose started walking towards Nora.

"What!.. How! Anything! Anything to help your cause!" She started making another fist with her left hand

"You can take care of Zwei…" Ruby proudly picked up Zwei showcasing him to Nora.

"You putting me… Nora... on dog duty…"

"…. Uhh...Yes." Ruby's nerves began to show, closing her eyes to prepare for a no.

"Hahaha Yess!" (Nora grabbed Zwei out of Ruby's hand). "You're going to be my walking buddy, my bite and bark later buddy and better yet... my pancake eating buddy, (she turned a one-eighty and ran with hyper speed to the other direction) let's go find Ren!"

"No no wait let me say goodbye." Nora didn't hear a single word as Ruby reached out to pursue after the energetic girl, yet Yang grabbed a handful of Ruby's cloak stopping her from moving further. The others didn't pay attention to Ruby's nagging with Weiss still reading the novel and Blake walking quietly.

"We will be back Rubes." Yang casually pulled the young teen.

"I know but Ozpin didn't say how long this mission will last." She showed effort in fighting the brawlers arm strength.

"He said two days Rubes."

Ruby spined her cloak to free herself from Yang's grasb. With that she skipped up to right of Yang.

"I know that, but the mission files make it sound longer."

"Yeah, yeah but remember when we went to Mountain Glenn, Doc said we didn't need any bags or extra stuff. Soo."

"I haven't read the files yet, but it's kind of strange for us to bring an unnecessary amount of ammunition just for a distraction." Blake sound curious.

"You probably over thinking it, it's just a two-day mission guys."

"Are is it…"

Blake sighed while thinking about the mission and the expressions Professor Goodwitch was giving during the meeting. All started to burrow in with the fear of what happened in Bloody Tempest and how much is true. As the girls started to make a left turn at the end of the hall Ruby looked up to noticed her partner reading the book.

"Oh yeah I want to know the story of the book."

"Well…" Blake responded while looking at Weiss.

"Please just tell me how the story starts." Ruby started to beg like a child again.

"His lips we're blushing blue, while his body leaked like spoiled fruit."

The heirs surprised everyone but Blake as she read the sentence out loud. While she looked back at Ruby to see her expression.

"Uh." Ruby said quietly

"Yup horror fleck." Yang shrugged her shoulders smiling.

"Well I thought it was going to start out with a bang but never mind."

"The story isn't action centered."

"Awww." Her arms started sagging with disappointment after hearing an unwanted answer from Blake.

"So who's the main character?" Yang asked.

"A girl, around Ruby's age."

"Oh what's her name?"

"Well she doesn't have one."

The sisters looked at each other with pale eyes.

"What!"

Weiss flipped the page back to the beginning as she ended her silents.

"So far they only call her… Human and it's the only name she reciprocate to."

"Wow they treating her like a slave or something."

Weiss looked back at the book and didn't respond ticking off Yang a little.

"No actually they're trying to kill her."

Ruby and Yang looked back at Blake as she continued talking.

"You see that's one of the reasons I stopped reading it."

Blake grabbed her arm.

"The novel describes faunus like heartless creatures dissolved from any kind of reason and it just felt… misleading to me."

"Well it's just fiction Blake." Yang tried to cheer up her partner.

"After what Ozpin said I highly doubt it." Blake arched her ambered eyes.

"Blake." Ruby was wordless. Without the knowledge of the book she was unable to cheer Blake up effectively.

As the team made another left turn you could see the exit a few feet away, with that Yang decided to ask Weiss a question.

"So Weiss how you digging the book so far?"

The heirs stayed silent once again.

_"Okay that's it!"_

Yang jumped in front of Weiss shocking her in the process but she still didn't say a single word.

"Look I'm sorry I know I acted all rude and all but I'm sorry."

Even though Ruby didn't know exactly what Yang was apologizing for she still was glad that she did, yet Weiss didn't say anything. She grabbed the bond of the book to place it in between the pages she was reading, closing the book she gazed at Yang and walked around her. The paled girl exited the hall leaving her team.

"Well I tried." Yang shrugged her shoulders.

"That was a poor apology." Blake knows first hand how Yang can get when it comes down to encouragement.

"Right now isn't the time anyways… I'll just wait until we get back."

"Can you please tell me what's wrong with Weiss." Ruby asked

Yang sighed. "Well you see... remember when we was fighting the Deathstalker."

"Yes."

"And Weiss made a plan to take out its legs first while me and Blake go for the tail." (Yang started scratching her head.)

"Yes..." The little rose started to play the past encounter in her head.

* * *

**Merlot's Laboratory a few days ago**

Ruby gasps "A Mutated Deathstalker?!"

Ruby and the rest of her team were in ah from the site of eight legged skeleton like scorpion marked with greenish fluid, it had a flowing amount of spikes covering its back with a glooming bright green stinger. It started creeping closer to the team of girls.

"Don't be shy, students. You can learn a lot from this enhanced specimen." A man's voice started taunting the girls from the screens of the area and even from team RWBY's scrolls.

"Whoa! That is one serious stinger!" Yang joked.

"They won't teach you thing about this at Beacon." The voice continued.

The scorpion blinked into a burst of speed charging headfirst.

"Don't let it sting you!"

While Blake was screaming the information the beast throw one of its pincers as it got closer. The other girls evaded without thinking while Blake ready a cleaver shaped sheath. The giant pincer cracked and cradled through the smoky dirt splitting a phased version of Blake in half, while the real one was above its head now wielding a light black katana in her right hand with the cleaver in the left. A variety of vivid purple coated strikes crashed the skeletons forehead without leaving a dent.

"Be careful!" Weiss said as she hailed a sliver-gray rapier anointed with blue shading, it would seem she was charging an attack.

The Deathstalker's legs scraped the ground rapidly as it spin to attack Blake. A red burning ball came through its rage stunning it in the process.

Yang cranked her momentum up to eleven as she folded into a boxing stance shifting closer to the hurt insect. The skeleton tried to defend itself but it was too late the blondes yellow gauntlets started chaining explosive jabs on the chin of the monster making it yell in pain.

"Crrrrrrr!?"

"Yang. Moveee!" Ruby shouted.

Screaming mad the Grimm stabbed its sharp pincer into Yang's torso and face shoving her straight into the now demolished ground.

A dozen yard long of red rose petals flashed and slashed the Grimm's claws vertically to the weakened ground stopping the attackers purist. The petals revealed Ruby spinning out of the roses with a giant red scythe as she pointed it down on the hands of the Grimm to fire a heavy round of ammo, lifting her in the air. But the Grimm clamped Ruby's cloak yanking her down, making her gasp for air. It violently tossed her to a wall behind Weiss making the cold metal wall bounce from the death throw.

Blake flipped in front of Yang as she ran straight into the attacking pincer to dissolve into a husk of erupting flame. The beast didn't show pain until Blake started to massacre the front legs with afterimages of numerous cuts. Blake flipped forward for another attack but the Grimm bashed her with its thick pincers.

With that Yang flared the surrounding rubble off her while her eyes showed a change in color and feel. She stumped fiercely shackling the grounds surface with flaming heat pushing off her leg to add more bone crushing power to her flaming uppercut.

The Grimm's legs shook from the painful attack as it slid in the dead dirt. Not giving the scorpion time to recover Weiss began to grunt as she gracefully released the blue light from her sword turning it to a barrage of shivering ice, freezing the left side of its legs. It started to show desperation as it used it stinger to strike the ground around him keeping everyone away from its non armored limbs.

"That's it, guys I have plan!"

"What is it Weiss." Ruby jumped down sliding on the ground.

"We freeze the other sets of legs crippling it and then Yang assaults the creature from behind while Blake severs the stinger off the creature's tail!"

Everyone started to huddle together as they talked.

"Ruby you good with this." Yang said bluntly while her hair danced in flames.

"Yes, I love it (Ruby looked back at the struggling insect) everyone think fast!"

A dark chunk of the ground was rolling their way with Ruby and Weiss jumping to the right Blake backflipped out of the boulders shadows, while Yang kept her ground, shouting as she punched the boulder into hand sized rocks.

Ruby burst into position setting up her scythe as Weiss spinned her glyphs in line of the barrel. Ruby started to giggle

"Ice Flower!"

With that Ruby started shooting the bolt-action sniper hybrid forcefully.

The Grimm screeched once more as the ice turned into a giant flower like iceberg consuming its other four back legs.

"Now Yang!"

"On it!" Yang shot both gauntlets to give her a boost of airborne speed. As Blake followed behind.

"Crrrrrrrrrrrrrraa!"

The Deathstalker was getting more dreadful by the second as it pointed its tail and stinger in the air as it rumbled and twitched releasing a foul greenish gosh of unknown projectiles.

"Make venom rain from the sky!"

"Oh no, Move!" Ruby used the recoil of the firing weapon to move backwards.

As for Weiss she began to sidestep, but a creature busting from the ground grabbed her lower leg with its sharp mouth. It was white and green like the Deathstalker, but only having hind limbs and a tail probably to balance its lizard like head.

"A Creep!"

Just as she was getting ready to stab the amateur Grimm the piercing venom from the Deathstalker strut the heirs chest with a ground pounding noise of pain. Leaving Weiss crying with agony in between the dirt and the Creep.

"Stings a little, doesn't it?"

After hearing that sentence and Weiss's cries Ruby feared the worse. She looked up to see Weiss on the ground twitching as she tried to grab her rapier.

"Weiss I'm coming!" Ruby shot herself into the fray as more and more Creeps started coming from the ground surrounding her partner.

Yang heard the scream while she was in midair, instead of going for the Deathstalker she plunged into the ground to ricochet herself to the opposite direction.

Blake didn't hesitate as she drifted through the dirt to make a u-turn.

Ruby flew in spinning with unbelievable speed decapitating two Creeps heads simultaneously as another Creep through its full mouth at the little hero she quickly tilted her body underneath the attack.

The Creep noticed the flame headed blonde coming full throttle, but all it could do was screech as Yang forced through its skin like watered cement, driving it forward with a melting shotgun round through its lifeless body. The three remaining Creeps began to slob and growl as they hesitated to challenge Yang.

They started to back away slowly but a gunshot from behind pierced through one of them in the head. As the middle one turned around it instantly slithered its jaws open and charged Blake. The dark-haired brunette shifted to a kneeled position sliding under the creature, with her swords crossed she drilled the Creep in the air making it fall backwards. Before it hit the ground she started another violet colored combo finishing it with a forward slash through its body leaving a reddish copy covered in wildfire to erupt. Exterminating the creature in the process.

"Last one."

She watched as the last remaining Creep screeched during its attack. Lifting its left claws Blake grunts while barely dodging the animal to instantly ripped through its arm with the cleaver. She stabbed the Grimm in the skull finishing it. Seconds later the green scorpion shattered the ice, shaking the water off its body.

"Ruby what's the plain." Yang bluntly asked.

"I have one.."(Ruby spinned and smashed her scythe to the ground.) "Blake! Distract it.

"Got it." Blake quickly transformed her katana into a firing weapon as she got the Deathstalker's attention.

As Ruby started to reload her weapon she began to fade back to the present.

* * *

"So let me guess you said something to her after we got back."

"Yeah kind of…"(Blake slapped her in the back of the head with Yang closing her eyes from the pain.) "Yes I did and I take full responsibility!"

"But why! You know that Creep wasn't her fault."

"I know."

"Then why Yang."

Yang sighed. "There was a day that I put you in danger and to this day I can't stop thinking about it. (A fist was formed.)

"Yang we both couldn't do anything at that age. I can handle myself now."

"I know, but Weiss is your partner right…"

"Well yeah. She's more than that she's my friend."

"No. She's your sister… Even Blake we all are sisters. (Yang placed her hard hands on Ruby's shoulders.) And it's hard for me to not take the big sister role. That's why I had to scold her because if anything happens I'll probably blame myself."

Yang started to let go of Ruby as she turned to the doorway to continue talking.

"Now let's go finish this lame mission (Yang laughed a little) because I have big plans for Ice Queen when we get back."

All Ruby and Blake can do was smile to the tone change of Yang as what all she said was true. From fighting Grimm and each other it'll only make them closer. The three girls finally exit the hallway as they began their calm stroll.

Close to the landing pad the heirs of team RWBY walked calm and silently with her downhearted spirit intact. She took this detached moment to quietly think… to reminisce the stinging of pain, to recall the scent of toxin corrupting her chest, yet even though her aura protected her from being poisoned physically, she still felt infected. As she closed the distance between her and the silver and blue landing pad she slowly placed her hand where she was stroked, touching a scattered wound across her exposed chest. A wound that she can only see.

"I need to focus."

She began talking within as she snapped her head forward to lose the calling of her thoughts.

"The peculiar thoughts will only bring fear and fear pollutes my form."

During her thinking she noticed a sharp cylinder headed aircraft parked in the center of the pad. Two full armored soldiers waited in front of the ship with their arms folded behind their middle backs. As Weiss gracefully walked closer she noticed the green marking of colors on the armor of the soldiers indicating that the soldiers are the pilots of the aircraft.

"Ms. Schnee (both soldiers bowed.) we have successfully loaded your team's armory and are waiting for departure."

"Thank you."

The heirs didn't allow her face to show her gratitude as she isn't the type to show her positive emotions in public. The other soldier that didn't talk looked over to see the rest of team RWBY walking in room view making their voices more clear as they approach.

"Well we beat Professor Goodwitch here." Ruby said softly.

"Yeah that's weird tho." Yang placed a hand on her hip. While Blake looked back at the school.

"I think that's her."

The rest of the girls and even the soldiers began to stare towards the high-heeled blonde walking fiercely towards them. With seconds to spare the two soldiers looked eye to eye with one of them nodding as they turned to the aircraft. The doors slid open vertically on both sides with the pilots casual stepping into the ship. From the back view of the soldiers you can see a grey like cargo box screwed down to the center of the ship.

The team began to fall in line as they waited for the huntress. The heels of the Professor slowly yelled after her fast paced walking.

"My apologies for being late I had to deal with an uncivilized student."

Ruby and Weiss glazed at each other as they begun to ponder.

 _"_ I hope she wasn't talking about Nora." Ruby started to imagine all the crazy things that the orange haired girl could had done to anger the strict woman.

"Isn't that swell, now she's going to be even more forbidding."

"Disregarding that matter let's discuss about the task at hand."

The Professor reached down towards her right boot as a black thin stick floats to her paws. As it began to extend it revealed a shade of purple covering the handle and exposing its form as a riding corp. She started to pace in front of team RWBY.

"Seeing that you all are carrying your luggage's, it's safe to assume that you've followed majority of your orders so far."

(Yang slightly raised her hand.) "Yeah about that, are we supposed to be some kind of distraction."

"Yes."

The whole team started to sag their shoulders.

"Allow me to clarify. For years Professor Ozpin have sent huntsmen and huntresses to protect a village located in the middle of Everest Forest. This forest helps keep immeasurable sized Grimm from attack the village, yet only Beowolfs and Alphas stay in this area. With this came a strategy to lure the Grimm away. With sounds of chaos… Guns.

The Professor started to tap her other hand with the corp.

"The amateur Grimm in this area are more accustomed to unyielding winds and animal life also the ancient trees maybe hollow, but they stay sturdy and noise reflecting through them sparking echoes. Creating attention with mischief should be a straightforward process for you.

Yang chuckled."You got that right."

"So Ruby Rose, Blake Belladonna, Yang Xiao Long you will be accompanying me and Coco Adel of CFVY. After we have successfully collected enough agro from the creatures I'll order our Bullhead to escort us out of danger while we use the safety of the aircraft to lead the foul creatures to their demise."

"Hmm. Who's finishing off the Grimm." Ruby asked.

"There's a steep canyon that grows a small amount of fire dust every two years, thus time is on your side because we will use the dust to exterminate the beasts."

The girls started to stare at each other, but mostly their gazes were towards Weiss as she wasn't mentioned in the plan.

"Sorry to intrude Professor. But where will I be positioned?" She placed her hand on her chest.

"Weiss Schnee, this phase of the mission for you is the most dangers." (Weiss sighed.) "You, Fox Alistair, Velvet Scarlatina, Yatsuhashi Daichi, and four other hunters from the village will make a stack square shape perimeter surrounding the village."

"So… that means I'll be alone."

"Yes."

Weiss sighed again but with a lower volume.

"The vulnerability you will be in most be treated with care, as your part will be to eliminate all the stragglers that will try to stay in the forest."

Professor Goodwitch stopped her pacing right in front of the heirs. As the other girls looked to see how Weiss was taking this.

"Be warned Ms. Schnee majority of the Grimm that lag behind are older Grimm that survived the onslaughts in the past and now they never leave the shadows of the trees showing that they have grown intelligence."

"Yes ma'am... I understand."

The light blonde woman blinked once, as the forward steps to the heirs showed hesitation.

"If you think the Grimm will overtake you. Fall back to the village immediately as the archers of the village will be guarding the outside walls during this whole ordeal."

"Understood Professor."

"Excellent."(The Professor lifted her left hand to signal the pilots as she walked around the girls.) "Team CFVY have already departed, let's not keep them waiting shall we."

The team of teens quickly opened up to follow the huntress.

"Professor… Where is Everest Forest?

The Professor turned around as she pushed her spectacles in place.

"Farther north-east. The forest lies between Vale and Mt. Chitwan." (She leaped in the ship with easy.)

"Just like the book described." Blake's mind rambled as the tall woman turned around.

"It should take thirty minutes or so to get there.(She turned around to the other girls) Remember team RWBY follow correctly and success will follow as well."

"Yes ma'am!" The united voices echoed through the landing pad as the engines from the aircraft formed a roar. The girls entered the Bullhead and the Professor stood in neck of the airship so she can watch both the pilots and the team. Ruby and Yang walked around the grey box to the right while Blake and Weiss settled in on the left, they all reached for brown belt like handles that hung from the roof of the aircraft as they prepared for takeoff.

As the ship started to ascend, Ruby focused her attention to the right of the ship as the doors stood open long enough to view an enormous mountain like cliff with several waterfalls dropping onto the light sapphire bay. As Ruby started to gaze beyond the waters the doors cracked in motion blocking the view of the city's afar. The wind scratched the walls of the aircraft as the ship slowly picked up speed while the inside was quiet and calm Weiss decided to reopen the novel grabbing Professor Goodwitch glare that Blake noticed.

"I recommend you postpone your reading Ms. Schnee."

"Yes ma'am." She answered politely

"It's best to stay relaxed for a mission instead of building tension."

The Professor glared at the other teens before she slowly turned to the head of the ship.

"So much for trying to learn more about the forest." The gold blonde leaned on the metal wall.

"Yeah, but we still got Blake." Ruby said.

Weiss wasn't surprised as she knows how strict and straightforward the Professor is so she didn't show any kind of negative emotions. She kneeled down to safely put the novel in her bag while Blake was watching and thinking.

"That expression… she must have a distaste for the novel too." Blake wanted to speculate on the matter but she decided to take the Professor's advice.

* * *

**27 minutes later...**

"Ma'am." The copilot spoke.

Professor Goodwitch walked into the cockpit as she listened.

"Where should we land?" He said quietly

Weiss and Blake stared at each other acknowledging that they both heard the question while Ruby and Yang wasn't really paying attention.

"We're not landing just drop us here."

The teacher bend a little as she gave the pilots directions, during so gave Weiss the view of the forest. The heirs started squinting her eyes little, she even started walking to the middle front of the cargo box getting the attention from the others.

"Weiss?"(Ruby pecked in the cockpit but quickly stepped back as Goodwitch walked through.)

"Prepare yourselves." She pressed a dim light that opened the grey cargo box revealing team RWBY's weapons all separated in four different containers. The girls circle around the containers to grab their specific weapon. The Bullhead's speed started to decrease, while the copilot opened the slid door on Yang's side.

"Wow…" Yang unfolded her arms while everyone but Goodwitch looked outside.

The trees were more like towers with clusters of rigged branches wired together from growth. Every tree from the forest were bone brown turning more hollow as they reached the ground. As the Bullhead made its way to a dirty patch from the side of the forest you can see the forest trailing to mountains growing smaller in height. The Bullhead was in position allowing the team to jump from the ship with the Professor following. The girls noticed the drop in temperature as light barely made it through the crowns of the hive like trees. Ruby admired the height of trees while Black looked at the cluttered stumps as if they fused.

"This trees are sooo tall!"

"Yeah it's like the CC Tower back at Beacon." Yang said.

While the girls was looking around, the airship started to ascend leaving the echoes of engines across the dirt field.

"Don't let the forest manipulate your awareness."

While Glynda was stating her comment Blake saw her holding a black scroll, but she mostly noticed the red low signal that the scroll showed. The Professor quickly folded the scroll as she started speaking.

"Hopefully they reserved the message."

An ear-piercing sound of rasping wolfs started to echo from within the forest. Shivery made its way through the winds of the area as each member of team RWBY transformed their weapons and ready their bodies.

"Uh oh." Yang said.

"I can't get a fix on their location." Blake stared down the forest.

"Don't worry their howling at the Bullhead."

The Professor herself didn't look worried at all not even tensed she started walking down a grey sandy path that cut the forest, as if this path lead to the heart.

"If we follow this path there's a slim chance that we will find Grimm, although if we come across an encounter Ms. Xiao Long (she turned around) Ms. Rose. You are not to engage.

"What." Ruby and Yang said in unison.

Yang sighed. "Wait why."

"Both of your fighting styles center around using the recoil of your weapons to increase your damage output. It's a common fighting style, nevertheless you will attract half of the forest.

"She's right." Blake rambled to herself.

"But what if we get swarmed?"

"That's why I'm here." Professor Goodwitch proudly stated.

Ruby sagged her shoulders and mouth with disbelief in her eyes.

"Well that makes us useless." Yang started biting her lower lip showing her negative emotions.

"Ms. Belladonna I'm allowing you to fight because it'll be easier for you to adapt to this kind of situation."

"Yes ma'am." Blake snapped back into reality.

"Now follow suit team RWBY."

They continued walking over the soft wavy pathway without speaking. Listening to sudden scratching winds moving through leafs and old bark of the mountain like trees. The breeze made a scent that mirrors a woodwork shop. The Professor noticed a group of birds flying across the right of the pathway. A second, later pitch of howling misery skived the air shocking the team.

"What was that." Ruby asked.

"More likely it's Grimm." The Professor adjusted her spectacles and continued walking with Ruby and Yang looking towards the area of the howl.

"It sounds like it was in pain."

"Do you think someone's fighting it." Yang added.

The two sisters looked at each as if they minds linked for a split moment. Yet their teacher answered the question.

"If they ventured out this far than their experienced."

"She's right (Blake continued walking) we have our on mission."

"Right." Ruby said with a hit of bitterness as she continued to look towards the darkened forest. She walked lagging behind the others wondering when they will reach their destination. The little rose looked back to right to notice more trees being fused together as if they are making a wall or some sort. With Weiss she kept her vision forward as she spotted the pathway splitting in two different directions.

"Professor the pathway is dividing. (Weiss started looking towards the Professor.) Which way?"

"Well, forward."

"Now we are straying from the pathway?"

"Exactly."

The end of the path was just seconds away as more birds flared from the right to the upper left of the forest. Blake blinked over to that direction but she couldn't see anything because of the clutter of trees but she felt a familiar pressure.

"Keep your awareness, were almost there." The Professor stated.

The other girls didn't hesitate to leave the dirt road but Blake continued to look over her luggage assuming the worst. She started to leave the road easily moving through the hollowed trees that formed holes to walk through.

"We will return back he for our mission but be warned deeper in, there are more deformed trees that will block the side views and light alike so stay close.

A few minutes went by with nothing but birds chirping and the scent of wet grass moving with the air. While the young huntresses struggled to walk over the overly sized roots Professor Goodwitch final stopped to look around the hollowed out forest. The fused trees surrouned the area with their massive width creating a circle. Even some of the roots were sticking out the ground from the trees pushing against each other.

The Professor unfolded her pouch to grab her scroll as she selected the same screen from earlier, Ruby could tell that she was trying to contact someone.

"Professor. Is everything okay?"

Glynda closed her eyes and started to sigh. "It would seem the message I sent to team CFVY didn't send."

The girls started stepping closer to her as she talked.

"I wanted them to meet us halfway, so we wouldn't get lost in these wretched woods."

"Oh the map, Professor." Ruby started to juggle her way through her pouch, it was there so she decided to venture to her bag. Yet the Professor stopped her.

"There's no need the map is only useful in the outskirts."

While the others listened to the Professor, Blake looked back again and noticed black silhouettes folded within the shadows of far away trees. With her chests getting heavy she turned while throwing her luggage towards the team.

"We're being watched."

The rest of the team threw down their bags as well with Glynda in the middle holding up her riding crop.

"Rose, Xiao Long place your back's against a tree and stay in a defensive position!"

Ruby turned her heavy weapon running with the beat of her blood.

"I forgot we can't fight."

Yang sighed but followed orders with little doubt. She looked back to see Weiss lifting her rapier as the guard of the sword flipped like a chamber.

"Who's watching us?" Weiss asked

"Not who."

After Blake responded a trail of leaves started falling from the crowns of cluttered trees.

"Up!"

A thunder of snapping branches ended the birds chirping as large limbs rolled to the ground. The branches started making continents of head high limbs blocking Ruby and Yang from the others.

"No!" Ruby screamed.

More arms of bark fail with Glynda holding up her crop stopping them with so kind of spell or telekinesis. During this a howling screech came from the broken part of the trees with a dark inked wolf like creature diving for its prey.

Blake jumped to a nearby broken tree bouncing upwards. The wolf slammed its claws across Blake's face making her fall back down. But she shook the pain off using a clone to bounce back up. She slashed it in half as its body falls to the ground.

The Professor looked around as more leaves started falling from the trees. She lifted her leg forcing a purple light from her weapon triggering the broken branches to hurl skywards. Blake saw the cut up Grimm being pushed by the branches, so she used another shadow to jump clear. Glynda watched as Grimm fail to the ground from the hurling branches while other Grimm used the trees to stop their fall.

Weiss started to form a striking stance as the Grimm started to howl and charge.

"Wait." Glynda said while counting.

"One, (She turned to look towards the right of the seeable forest) two, Allow me to take out the mature Grimm."

The experienced huntress rolled her riding crop shoving a wolf like creature into the more spiky one that had scars and burnt marks. The Grimm ran its dirty claws straight through the smaller Grimm not noticing the purple strings of dust shooting its way. Skin and black flesh splattered from its lifeless body like rain.

One came from the left without Glynda realizing so Weiss used her glyph as a shield while the monster attacked. It howled in pain after its arm snapped. The beast pursed with Weiss barely dodging gracefully as the beast throw its arm straight at the heirs head. She leaned back with pure flexibility as she stabbed the monster in its throat. Professor Goodwitch didn't thank the heirs while she turned to the right for the other mature Grimm that was with two smaller once.

The crop glowed ghostly white as she waved her arm with striking force to release an ice piercing shard that tore through the eyes of the mature Grimm. Making its dead body roll on the wet ground as it started to fade away. The other wolves jumped to attack the Professor with Weiss making another glyph to take the hit. But instead they jumped around the glyph with their jaws locked open and stuck in place.

"Don't use your energy to protect me."

Glynda spinned during her casting pushing the Grimm to one of the fused trees. The necks of the monsters made shiver echos as their heads squished between the bark.

"You will need it later."

The Professor's eagle eyes looked forward for more targets quickly realizing that Ruby and Yang are not in view. Her mouth darkened with worry as she looked for Blake.

"Blake (The branches on the ground began to shift.) go find the others now!"

"Yes." Blake didn't care if Glynda heard her as she jolted through the city of crowns making sure she used speed and precision so she wouldn't fall to her end.

Back on the ground Weiss started running towards the Professor.

"Professor your orders!"

"Help me move these branches now!"

"Yes of course." Winded air pierced Weiss, surprised by the tone of her teacher. She started using a glyph that was color coded in black shooting one of the boulder like branches from right under it with Glynda taking in control to break and shove the old wood towards the right. They quickly noticed more branches blocking their progression. Weiss was thinking that they could just jump across the clustered mess but after the logs started moving they looked incredibly unstable.

"Again!"

Weiss didn't have a chance to respond as a strong howl vibrated her skin. She stopped her hesitation thinking of only saving her team, creating two glyphs this time around.

On the other side of the maze of branches Ruby and Yang was indeed in danger. The sisters knew they could easily kill the most together but they would have to devoid the Professor's orders and the mission. Yang was uncomfortable about the situation, feeling like a coward feeling useless.

The beast came in view while bashing its savage force through hollowed stomps. The beast was more protected having its upper chest casted with bony armor and seemed drastically more built physical then the other wolfs.

The clouded paws of the creature rapidly slashed at the blonde, with Yang panting she continued blocking its rampage. Ruby didn't know what to do, none of her attacks would had done anything without using her sniper, yet she always had a plain.

"Yang I have a plain (Ruby started running to a half-broken tree) bring it this way!"

While Yang was getting tired she had to keep blocking for she can escape. The Grimm's right claw started dragging across the noodled grass making mud fly with its powerful uppercut. She was able to defend by lowering her body to endure the hit but failed to keep her feet on the ground. As she was falling the beast didn't hesitate to take advantage of her weakened state, its body thrust its heavy weight on top of the teen. Yang's face started to burn like an oven from the Grimm's glooming breath while it's mouth started to water uncontrollably.

Ruby looked back after not hearing any footsteps or grunts to see her sister stuck between the ground and the beast. Ruby heard nothing but her heart with each pulse her chest rattled like a frosted engine. Her thoughts about the mission drifted away she didn't care about attracting other Grimm at that matter as she spin her heavy scythe slamming its blade through the wet grass.

Without warning the Grimm's body shot backwards, with a dark orange figure kicking it with chilling force. The monster slammed from tree to tree making all of them unstable.

"Wait, is that?"

Ruby transformed her weapon into a deformed like shape so she could run more easily. While she was jogging she noticed the person that saved Yang was someone she knew. It was Fox a dark complexion boy with messy copper fringed hair that was longer than his earlobes. His wearing a dark orange sleeveless vest and a pair of black jeans as his shoes was hidden from Ruby's view as roots was in the way. But she was paying more attention to Fox's blades that pointed backwards connecting to his arms and hands.

"Fox thank you!" Ruby ran past the tall boy to her sister.

"Yeah I owe you one." Yang said with her tone changing back to normal. Ruby started pulling her sister up while struggling lacking arm strength with Yang just casually standing up.

"I'm good Ruby."

"You better be I can't use Blaze Bloom without you!" Ruby's dreaded face showed.

"I know sis now let's bend the rules and put the hurt on this Grimm."

"Great minds think alike." Ruby chuckled as both Yang and Ruby got side by side with the teenage boy. Ruby started bouncing while talking.

"Now Fox le..(The boys legs bursted through the grass leaving a dusted afterimage to cloud the girls vision.)

The Grimm had no equal footing as Fox's speed and power collected into one impulsive punch splitting through its armored chest. The force pushed it upwards as Fox rapidly joined his fists with his blades during the combo. Not even a second passed by with the left blade sheathing into the monster's throat, during this he flipped over the falling body while cutting the Grimm headless.

Ruby dropped her weapon with her mouth while Yang slowly pushed her little sister's mouth closed.

"That was an Alpha right?"

"Yup." Ruby responded.

"He's on a whole nother level."

"Yup."

After Ruby respond Fox started running back to the girls to only stop and look up at the crowns of the trees. Another dark figure started grinding towards the wood of massive trees fighting the momentum to softly land on the rootless grass.

"It's okay Fox it's Blake!" Yang shouted knowing the chances of him being blind because of his lack of pupils.

Fox only nod as he walked back to the others.

"Great you're all okay." Blake sighed softly.

"Yeah silent but deadly did us a solid."

"Where's Weiss and the Professor."

After Ruby's response the unmeasurable branches started to move drastically. Mud and dying grass up rooted as the limbs stained the ground. The girls looked at each other while Fox was trying to figure out what was moving. In no time Weiss and Glynda was able to jump over the smaller branches answering Ruby's question.

 _"Good there not harmed."_ The Professor was panting but she showed a little smile that only Weiss noticed. Goodwitch shook off her smile as she saw Fox.

"Mr. Alistair glad you can join us."

The boy scarred face showed a little emotion as he recognized the voice.

"Ms. Adel most had sent you?

The teenage boy shook his head yes, but the Professor still wanted to asks more questions.

"So you most had memorized the patterns of this forest?"

He shook his head no.

"Then how did he get here." Weiss asked the Professor.

Fox politely turned around and pointed towards one of the broken trees. As the Professor and team RWBY looked forward suprisingly someone was sitting down on the tree. Glynda slowly lost her surprised as the person jumped in view of the others. It was a young man with peach skin and dark brown eyes with faunus features. His front view shows that majority of his neck covered with cream-white fur that leads up to his sideburns and hair. His hair is more human, turning white to black as it travels to his forehead sharply.

His wearing a hollowed grey and brown garb that is sleeveless as if forced off. He started reaching for one of his garb's pockets showing the painful deep cut marks around his fingers. A blue sun rest on the pocket revealing a small Y-shaped rusted grey crossbow that has darts for ammo attached to his forearm.

As he walked towards the girls he pulled out a small dart that split into two turning into a scissor like shape. The team started to ready their weapons with the Professor lowering hers.

"Mr. Jutsus was it… your willingness to help shows your gratitude."

"I can't miss out on seeing some lighthearted amateurs getting tarnished."

Ruby and Blake looked at each other surprised but they didn't say anything while Weiss and Yang looked furious.

"Umm.(The heirs walked past everyone giving him a clear view of her) Excuse me, what did you say?."

The man opened his eyes widely as if he couldn't take all the information in at once he stopped playing with his scissors while speaking.

"You are a Scheen, aren't you?"

"That's not what he said!" Ruby shouted as no one took her seriously. With Weiss placing her pale hands on her hips the Professor walked in before Weiss could respond.

"And if she was?" (the cream haired man noticed the light emerald eyes pressuring him.) "Will that be a problem?"

He didn't respond only thing he did was flip the scissor-darts back in his pocket. The grass below him made muddy noises during his turnaround. The girls watched as he walked away silently.

"Team RWBY, Mr. Alistair let's move." Glynda started falling the faunus basically speed walking.

"Yes ma'am." Ruby said with the other girls acting a little iffy, yet they still followed the Professor. Fox started walking pass the team walking over roots like he knew where they all were.

"I can tell we're not getting a thank you after this one." Yang said while walking.

"As long as we get this over with safely the only thing that will be thanking us is our beds." Blake spoke with a grin.

"True." Yang said while looking back

A few minutes past with RWBY and the others following the white-haired man through the forest making sure to keep a steady pace. The girls could feel the ground losing its height while walking, Ruby looked around noticing that they are walking down a slight hill with the roots getting less seeable. Ruby slowly started to catch up with Professor Goodwitch that was monitoring the forest.

"Professor?"(Glynda glazed at the little rose.) "Who's Jut or Jutso, whatever his name is?" The other members of team RWBY started listening in while they walk.

"His full name is Kai Jutsus his one of the hunters that's going to help eliminate the Grimm."

"Oh. His weapon looks off a little."

"Well just like any other human or faunus we have to adapt to our surroundings. In his case he can't use firearms because of the echos of the forest nor does he have special designed weapons like you and your team. The villagers have to use farming tools to create their weapons."

While Glynda was explaining the girls noticed a huge group of fused and cluttered up trees that seemed to create a dome. Ruby and her team stopped a little to stare at the greener and healthier trees with hand like roots standing up from the ground as people with hollow garbs stood on a bridge like branch. The hunter started walking a little faster.

"Is this the village?" Ruby asked.

"Yes." Blake answered Ruby with the Professor not stunned by Blake's knowledge.

Yang sighed. "That means we can relax."

"No, you will rest after." The Professor's words rigid across Yang's skin like a rusted knife. As Glynda walked forward the team followed.

The team noticed wooden doors faded in grey across the walls of the fused trees. As they walked through the more leveled ground voices came from underneath the massive roots with a very tall person with olive-green armor leaning to see under the roots.

"Is that Yatsuhashi?" Blake asked

"Yes and that voice sounds like Velvet. Weiss said surprisingly.

The faunus jogged to one of the wooden doors, he entered the dome like area revealing more voices from inside. This made the armored giant look towards the others giving a better view of him. His left shoulder was the only one with armor as a brown strap crossed his chest to his left shoulder. He healed a bronze longsword that curved it's weight within the soft ground.

"Professor." He bowed to the Professor as a girl step out the shadows of the roots. A couple of long brown rabbit ears where extended from her long brown hair. She wore a short, long-sleeved brown jacket with a golden zipper. She matched with some brown shorts and black leggings.

"Velvet!" Ruby said.

"Oh hey Ruby, I didn't know your team is helping us."

"Yeah." Ruby scratched her head while Glynda stepped in.

"Sorry to intrude but we are on a tight schedule."

Ruby and Velvet shut down their conversation without showing negative vibes. During all this the wooden door reopened as the same hunter walked out gazing towards team RWBY rudely.

"Sorry Professor."

"My apologies as well." (The faunus girl placed her hands behind her bottom.)

"What's our next move."

"Where's your leader?"

"She's positioned in the front of the village."

"I need you to bring her here."

"Yes ma'am."

Glynda adjusted her glasses as she talked to the hunter.

"And the hunters as well."

The man didn't look at the Professor as he continued his stares at team RWBY.

"I already did."

"Excellent." The Professor nod to Velvet making her turn to the door.

"Oh wait Professor can I go with her." Ruby slightly bend her knees.

"No!"

Ruby jumped with a squeal as everyone stared at him. Soft rattles came from the hunter has his hair started to twist like rubber.

"No humans can enter."

The whole team looked at each as though they was trying to make sure they all heard him correctly.

"Is there a purpose." Weiss crossed her arms tapping her nails for an answer but he just stood there and laughed while his hair rattled.

"Segregation is key here isn't it?"

After the brunette's response the echos of his rattles slowly stop, during so his vision converged to Blake's eyes.

"Enough…(Glynda gazed at the girls back to Velvet.) Velvet go."

Velvet nodded as the man closed the door behind her. He stood there with his arms crossed.

"Ms. Belladonna I need to speak with you privately."

Glynda paced away only to turn around through the short grass.

"Also leave your luggage."

While Blake placed her light bag on the clean grass Yang started some small talk.

"Sooo… You like scissors."

The man looked at the blonde as if confused but he just shrugged his shoulders to watch Blake.

Glynda made sure to walk to a hidden area so the hunters wouldn't read their mouths. Blake noticed some pale brown bizarre sized leaves formed to look like trash bags, yet there was no odor.

"Professor did I do something wrong." Blake asked with a wavy feel to her voice

"No, I'm just asking a few questions."

Glynda started to tap her heel.

"Did you finish the book?"

"You're talking about Blo…"

Glynda held her hand up preventing Blake from continuing.

"Yes or no."

"No."

"But you know enough to acknowledge that this is one of the villages in the story."

"Yes."

Glynda pondered briefly as dim light reflected from her sharp glasses.

"I want you to withhold your knowledge from the others."

"Professor may I ask why?"

"Honestly I'm just trying to prevent tension."

"Tension… Wait that's from the book."

"Yes, one human brought worry upon the faunus, attracting Grimm. It makes sense that the hunters are preventing history from repeating itself.

Every time Blake hears the word history she would always think about one of her Professors. This also drew a memory from earlier.

"Professor, early today you went to Professor Oobleck's class.

Glynda slightly tilted her face.

"Yes."

"Was there a reason?"

"Of course, I wanted to know more about you and the others." The grass shift within the air as Glynda started walking back to the others. Blake quickly followed to listen.

"Throughout the school year I would overhear the students mentioning at least one of you. But I wanted to get a different perspective."

Professor Goodwitch halted her steps making Blake stop as well.

"And you can say I've learned something."

Blake quickly noticed the eyes of her teacher staring at the bow that's wrapped around her ears.

"What, Professor Oobleck knew."

"You're not the first to hide your faunus features Blake. He didn't reach the title of doctor for nothing."

Blake stayed quiet.

"But you are among the first students of Beacon to stop a deranged scientist, so."

While talking she heard a new voice from the distance.

"That must be Coco." Blake said.

"Excellent let's begin."

Professor Goodwitch started her stroll leaving Blake behind to think. She even stopped walking while the rainy smell tickled her nose. The brunette didn't want to worry too much about the village, knowing that if she revealed herself as a faunus they will accept her with all arms or maybe rejected for hiding who she was. Disregarding that matter she looked upon the deformed dome with its long boned crown holding birds and even light. Blake didn't get a gloomy and dark vibe from the surrounding trees, realizing that the story took place in another village, even so she hoped for her team and team CFVY to not coming across the site of Bloody Tempest.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To give you a better grasp of Kai Jutsu and the other 3 hunters. They hardly work together, yet I still made a theme for them. They are based off the Four Powers or Four Policemen of World War 2 while adding faunus traits to them. Kai is a honey banger and is Chiang Kai-shek, in the next chapter I will let you figure out whose who, but until then you can leave comments and constructive criticism. Also I updated the prologues to chapters and a little grammar problems.


	3. Starting the Plan

**In the hive crowned trees above, rumbling insects rapidly nibble their way through rich and divine leafs that glowed like wind _dust_. Their eating pathway was the opposite of unique as most to all of them squeezed their oval-line like bodies feeding on the paws of the leafs. The insects are long, leafs long and larger, in with the forest being large and taller. Every rustle that the insects made caused a sky colored bird to hop from branch to branch and back again, playful looking for prey.**

**The grease tinted eyes reflected the leafs and stems, memorizing there flow in the wind to pursue the plant's parasites. The height of the bird exceeded a standing fifty pound dumbbell at most, as it used its towering speed and vanity, instead of patience and accuracy. From jumping and lunging itself across the crowns arms it successful caught an insect.**

**Frcc!**

**This sudden noise mimicked a child feasting upon an apple while the fainted sound screeched the hair of the trees losing its sound as it reached its ankles. This also encouraged a flock of similar birds to scatter to feast as well, yet this event didn't provoke the insects to retreat. Some we're in a gluttony state while others were skinny but continuously ate at a similar pace. The sky colored birds all got their fair share, but for some reason the insects had more slimy goo than meat, as if the insects can out juice an orange.**

**The flock of birds all showed a heat stroke affect, with their heads twitching like hanging earphones. Their toothpick colored beaks dripped bleeding snot from their crater of a nose, like thick honey. Majority of the flock retired to the skies, as if clouds would cure them. Ironically enough the ones that stayed behind was the youngest of the flock, as three of the sky colored birds had a reedy look in their eyes. One of them flow to the closest position to the village spotting Blake and Professor Goodwitch walking back to the elephant sized roots. The reedy eyed bird watched over them, deaf as the shadow it stood over, it waited patiently.**

* * *

**Unknown Village**

Blake and Goodwitch started to hustle back as one of the voices had a spite of aggravation that was uncommon for the quiet environment. When they arrived a new face unfamiliar to Blake, but to Goodwitch it was like looking at an old pin with no ink.

"Get your hands off her!" The girl with the brown chocolate like outfit screamed in protest. From this information alone this has to be Coco.

"You. You, really want to resist!"

The man sound like he had a drizzle of mucus in his throat or maybe he just woke up. His light peachy skinned hand forced Velvet to crack her eyes slightly as their aura fought for space. His hollow brown sleeveless garb started to glow in night purple with his whole body shivering in it.

"She said let her go."

He was forced to release Velvet's hand.

"Now… back up."

He did.

"Velvet our you okay?!"

The girl with the cocoa colored waist cincher started to hold Velvet's hand looking for any unusual coloring. While Fox, Yang and Yatsuhashi formed a wall Ruby, Weiss, and Blake ready their weapons.

"Students… That goes for you all too."

Both team RWBY and CFVY back stepped during her order, being controlled without her semblance. Everyone looked a little confused until the man started to move his hand with his furry ears glowing from red velvet to yellow velvet. While he made a fist he took a deep breath like he was preparing to play a trombone. Kai laughed as he looked away, the Professor noticed this and quickly took action.

"Cover your eyes!"

Everyone took the order without a thought. As if protecting their eyes from a flock of eye pickers. From first glance you would think he was about to scream, but you would be decades from the truth. His hair, his ears, and even his eyes created an enormous amount of light creating a line of laser like radiation that disguises itself as fire. Goodwitch released her hold so the light wouldn't score her.

When Weiss opened her eyes she was expecting to see smoke or steam, while Ruby expected to see a spiky haired version of the man. (referring to a comic she read) But instead he rose up from the boiled grass as he stared at the Professor.

"Oh. Look. Look, I thought you said you will never come back."

"That's not my decision."

"Nothing is." Kai interrupted.

Goodwitch shook her head while pushing her glasses back.

"No. No, don't say that, she just told a fish story… Everyone. Everyone has those."

This red-velvet haired man spoke again while stuttering his first words. Repeating like a necessity to communicate.

"I didn't lie, nor did I make any promises. The people in this village is what I'm here for."

Kai chuckled.

"Yeah, we're just here to help!" Ruby said.

The Professor showed a sign, a message, violent as the warning signs on bitter medicine. The way she glowed at Ruby, made the little rose rethink for speaking out of term.

"Ms. Adel... Stay. Everyone else go on guard... By that tree line."

" _By that tree line."_ Yang replaced every thought like making a playlist with one short song. She knew, everyone knew that Goodwitch was just trying to get rid of them.

"Yes ma'am." Ruby responded, covering her black-red hair with her hoodie as she sprint to her bag, then the so called tree line. Blake did the same as others followed.

"So what's the problem?" Goodwitch spoke.

"Well. Well... you see this "human female" decided to walk all over our village."

Goodwitch stared down Coco for a second.

"Professor I can..."

"I apologize..." The professor didn't care for Velvet's excuse she just went on to apologize for her and Coco.

"Wow an apology...Okay." The repeating man broke his pattern showing his disbelief, I mean who wouldn't. An apology, from Professor Goodwitch, a rare sight indeed. Although Kai didn't care for this, keeping his awareness.

"No...To make it even tell me." (He points to the others.)

"Is she a Schnee."

Professor Goodwitch paused for a minute or two.

"So you're not going to respond." Kai playful lowered his left eye.

"There's no need, you already know the answer."

"Well guess we're not even then."

"Look… I want to finish this before the night catches us."

"Night… Right."

While Kai was speaking the repeating-man looks up to the massive branches that linked together like steel cables. The same bird, pecking itself to the bloody bone stands with no shadow. His eyes opened widely revealing his mossy-navy orbs as the bird stopped to stare for a brief moment to peck itself again. Kai notice the expressions on the young girls face. Stopping his nagging, he clawed his companion's shoulder to no resolve. Without overseeing the repeating-man range of view, he just shoved him, brushed him, like he was preparing to punch him.

Kai eventually cast his companions eyes on the shadowless bird. To see the bird eating away at his crowded infected flesh not seen by Kai but he saw a glimpse of glimmery pot. Like mint in a chocolate delight, spoiled not fresh. Kai's hair flickered… no his aura flickered as he grabbed the repeating man rushing through the grainy mud.

"We can't let the night catch us."

"I.I know."

The two faunus showed nothing but motivation… caffeine motivation at that, as they shot away like timid weasels while one shouted.

"Stoven will meet you humans in a jiffy…" Kai said.

A hatch opens from the knee of the tree.

"What…!"

The hatch closed.

"Wait… What?" Velvet's eyes showed a plank slate.

" _I can't believe this."_ Goodwitch spoke to herself.

"Who's Stoven?" Coco asked.

"Not their leader." Professor Goodwitch tore bluntly.

"Professor I'm sorry... If I could of..."

"Don't worry."

"But..."

"She gets it Velvet, we're good." Coco said as she continued to speak. Goodwitch started to relax a little more even if the archers or "gerber" (from what the hunters call them) where pointing their worm like weapons towards the girls. She didn't worry about them, not at the slightest. Because if they hold the same weapons they ether haven't unlocked their aura or have and just never unlocked their semblance.

" _Hell even then."_ She said to herself while ignoring her students like mir rent collectors, but one word caught her rent in the end.

"It's unusual… a horde of snakes covered the pathway that we used. So I took it upon myself to walk though the village."

"Oh. Those things."

"There were so many." Velvet said.

"Yes I know."

"Professor? You say that as if that's a common thing around here.

She didn't respond to Coco with words, but with the walk of a soccer mom in heels. I promise you if the grubbers didn't put their weapons down before, they did then. Even if she was human a back of a woman is all the same. But never mind them… Coco on the other hand didn't care for all the silence that infected her teacher all of a sudden. She just took it as way for the Professor to be two places at once, so the solution is to multitask.

"So they most have snake pits lying around." Even after her silence she knew Goodwitch better than Fox at this point, she knew if she was right she'll stay silent because even out in the field a professor needs to correct someone or something. And with her luck she hears...

"Not pits…"

* * *

**The Village Tree Line**

"Snake farms!" As if the little rose would stay upset for a minute after hearing these and especially seeing this. Her heart... No... her whole well-being had a pulse of a hundred.

"Sadly yes." Blake never cared about snakes thinking that messing with them only gives them unneeded attention. And know that she sees a whole river of these things hissing like a classic scroll, disgusted no doubt abiding to her emotionless habits.

"Well quoting from the novel at least." Blake jumped a little realizing what she was doing. Lucky everyone (Minus Fox) watched the snakes like crows, eyeing a dying animal.

"What's the need for farming snakes like cattle. Is it some kind of financial need." Weiss with her father cap on. (She hates saying that.)

Silent, she stayed.

"Let me see..." The muscular blonde started looking through Weiss's bag during the time that the owner was vividly gazing down her neck.

"Page number… Chapter…(She looks at Blake) Where is it?"

"Well you see… Weiss is interested in the story I don't wanna spoil it."

Blake looked over Yang's shoulders with intentions to guard her, with Yang rolling her eyes.

"She'll get over it."

"So that's your excuse... I'll get over it."

"Look don't start."

(Weiss breathes in deeply into her core)

"You right." The Ice Queen embarked her way to the other side of the wood line, not to far and not to close with Ruby tailing her nonexistent shadow. Yang, mounted, as if to worry… that the next inconsistent movement would ignite the Ice Queen's emotions… that the next crackle in her voice would kindle the Ice Queen's expressions. She last spoke when Blake grabbed the novel with Yatsuhashi closing in.

"Yep."

"You could've done better." (Blake flips through the bleeding friesian colored book.)

"I know Blake...I know."

Yatsuhashi came in between the girls with Blake looking at the giant.

"I'm sorry Yatsuhashi… This isn't the norm.

"And if this isn't normal then what is it?"

"Well..."

"Growing… To become greater, in a massive size, extend shortly or having a life to show. When growing on your on you have a lot of room to extend your roots or branches. Well in our position we have less room just like this...Forest."

"But unlike this forest we have to spare… No share our space. And as a warrior you will learn that bickering will take up space."

He looks at Fox.

"But aren't you worried about Grimm."

"Grimm are cowards, there's not enough groups out there for them to get boiled to attack us all. Unless we separate."

"Yeah but still."

"If it makes you feel any better Fox and Coco had more than enough scuffles in our first year."

"Ohh, that's interesting, Fox and Coco couldn't see eye to eye."

Yang was smiling at Fox while he tilts his head.

"Oh, I'm s… Spiced with puns."

" _That's definitely not the word."_ She said to herself

Fox just smiled and shrugged his shoulders with Yatsuhashi holding his chin.

"Well puns aside, Professor Goodwitch is coming… With three others."

Blake keened her cat-like eyes to watched her teacher with the other hunters.

Coco and Velvet was in front of the Professor and the man named Kai was behind the Professor with the other one that was attacking Velvet on the right. He had a straight pitchfork in his hand that made sounds of rattling chains.

The one to left had jet-brown hair that soaked into it's peach skinned. His tail was small and short with a black hunter knife tip. He held a double-headed sickle with a dime sized hole in its center. His garb was like the rest but more clean and shaped to his body. Something was on his back but wasn't seeable.

"Ms. Rose… Weiss."

"O boy it's starting." Ruby said.

"Yes… Now, you all know the original plan right.

"Yes ma'am."

"I'm going to have to make adjustment to..."

"That will not be welcomed." The jet-brown haired man spoke.

"I told you it's not going to work without him."

"You see, you didn't changed the plan when I was away. Now that he's gone you getting a little moonstruck." He held his chest.

"Because he's never gone, plus there will be an opened gap."

Kai laughs.

"We can three-man this. You have faith in mere children, (he laughs) at less show some false faith to us. May call it even."

"Professor, we can do this. Where just drawing them out right." Ruby said.

"And then some. (Yang cracks her knuckles) Will show them want mere children can do."

"Predictable, predictable response… If you stop my stutter, then and only then will I be surprised." His mucus still persist as he held his chest with his bow tie, cleaner then his voice.

Professor Goodwitch released her tightened lungs as in seconds she tightened them up again.

"Weiss… A word with you."

Weiss walks up as Ruby trails her.

"Only Weiss, Rose"

"Fine, yes ma'am."

Ruby ran back to the others as the hunters smirk at her. Ruby didn't mind them as she got a glimpses of what's on the new hunters back.

A prism shaped crystallized by dust, yellow-sunnish dust hand-made at that.

She also saw the Repeating man's weapon as he scratches the rust of the forks while gazing around.

"I see it Ms. Schnee."

"It's not what you think it is Professor.

"Look, being nervous brings…"

"Let me guard the opening!"

Goodwitch adjusted her glasses.

"Are you positive Ms. Schnee."

"Doubtless."

The Professor nods her head as she started to lose her positive emotions when she thought of the hunters name. Like a Sergeant that thinks about a shitty detail. Vastly shitty.

"Stoven."

"Yes, Professor Witch"

She rolled her eyes.

"One of my students are going to form up at the gap."

"Oh really... Hey old sports, get a kick out of this."

His voice didn't waver in pitch but it had sneezy feeling to it that called up the two other hunters with their bill collector smirks. The teens watched out of ear distance.

Professor Goodwitch explains the situation to them. They understand but like children they had to mock the situation with drunken laughter especially Kai.

"Yeah to easy."

"Old sports…(he rubbed his has like a dictator) Trivium?"

The two, with their seaweeded eyes and navy-turfed eyes choked a look.

"Trivium!"

"Alright Professor Witch I'll take her there you just follow the others."

"Not at all... I'm going with you."

"Professor… Why?"

Weiss unfolded her arms showing a hint of "I can go to school by myself mom." vibe that the hunters noticed.

"It's not what you think."

"Aww, still no faith in us. Alright, still to easy."

With all this happening the other teens started walking a little closer. The rest of team RWBY overheard the conversation like teachers listening to the queen bee and her drones.

" _Weiss… Defending a whole section."_ Ruby said to herself.

"Well, well how are you getting back. One, one who doesn't know nothing of the forest can't understand the forest."

"I know that the serpent walks from deadlight to sunlight."

They stayed quiet, while Kai smiled and that smile moved up a little as he licked the bottom of his upper lip. "The serpent walks from deadlight to sunlight." Went from ear to ear during the teens eavesdropping, however Blake hid her nostalgic shock like she hid her cat ears.

"Team leaders a word with you also."

Goodwitch moved closer to the edge where Weiss and Ruby was standing. The leaders felt a shiver of tickling ants that infected the wind, with the hissing of the snakes caring the wind religiously.

"Ms. Adel I want you to take in command with in my absence."

"How long will you be gone." Ruby asked.

"I'm getting there… My absence will be brief but an obstacle can be even more flitting so stay on your guard."

Coco nods.

"Ms. Rose your task is to start "Phase 1" and "Phase 2"."

"Yes ma'am."

"The rain clouds... (she points through the huge gap between the trees showing the light grey blankets that paces ahead.) Once they cover the sun that's when you start phase one."

"Right!"

"Then after your exit, your scroll will have signal. You will receive a message from me, that's your indication to start phase two so hold position until then."

"Yes ma'am, I won't let you down Professor."

"Don't worry about letting me down just be careful."

Ruby didn't expect those words. Something from that tone showed hits of not wanting to separate. But she didn't say anything because Ruby knew the hunters had something planned. They plan to attack the Schnee. Her partner. She had to say something.

"What about the..."

The experienced huntress placed her fingers in between Ruby's lips.

"That's why we have scrolls. I've already added you two to my group chat."

She could have said more, but the hunters looked impatient with smirks that would keep the Grimm away.

Ruby watches Weiss and the Professor walk of with the strange jet-brown man while the two other strange men started running the opposite way as Fox started running with them while her and the rest started trailing the. Professor was right. While they was running they was following the river of snakes, as she looked back she saw Coco running faster than even her sister. She couldn't believe the speed she had even with her handbag that hid her heavy weapon. She also noticed the Yatsuhashi talking to her, wondering about the topic.

"I think a flaw has been found." Yatsuhashi said.

"What are you talking about."

"You… Weiss… A proper plea…You failed to put them in one sentence."

Yang knew exactly what he was talking about, as they was running she slowed down a little thinking… Thinking about her, her way of making up to her she really didn't like the "I'm sorry" way of approach… but was it really that obvious.

"We stop here Velvet… and humans."

From the perspective of everyone they knew, that they connected to the same road from earlier as for Blake she gazed down, not for the road. But to see if she would get the same feeling of worry…

She did.

As always she kept the emotions to herself, shaming any evidence of having more than a care.

"Velvet this way, To your position… tell you're humans to follow." Kai said.

"Fox, Yatsu…"

They ran out of sight with Coco and the rest of team RWBY moving with duty in mind. No guides, no Professor, and no Hunters to nag them on, they kept the scent behind them.

As time moved on with the clouds, Coco and Yang jogged to a walking pace to regenerate their aura. They left Ruby and Blake for their part of the mission. Yang started a conversation like normal, with neither of them talking about the task at hand. Ignoring the timid birds and ghastly tree noises that came. The road was steady, smooth steady, as the silver path made way to a joyful walk.

* * *

**Phase 1**

During this point of dimming sunlight, the young huntsmen and huntresses where all in position.

Well to Ruby's knowledge.

She had her weapon drawn fully, as it's scythe. With her scope glaring in the decaying sunlight. The scopes red glare looked unusual as it soaked in the forest around it, like a doll with a bleeding stuffed bird eye gazing under a child's bed. Usually this eye would be staring at her targets, usually she would be playing with its modded visions, if she was godly bored. But it was more like the scope was bored. Staring at her. Like she was the next target. She looked away from the scope thinking of something to kill the sounds of nature.

"You think everyone's okay?"

Blake walks up to her while she thought, carefully picking words for her response.

"And I'm not talking about Yang and Coco. The others in the forest."

"Yes, if your thinking about the hunters? Professor Goodwitch… All of us can take them."

"Yes, together… But apart?"

Blake unfolded her hands.

"Starting a fight with us will not end well for them or their village."

"Yeah that makes sense."

"Hopefully they have some." Blake added followed by a chuckle from Ruby.

"I'm pretty sure they do. For one, the guy attack Velvet instead of Coco. I don't know if it was because she never uses her weapon or because she was another faunus. Two, their weapons our designed with unique thought. Even with the fact of using farming tools, they had _dust_ infused in their weapons instead of ballistic weaponry like ours. With the limitations of just using tools, I wouldn't expect such tasty looking weapons."

She continued her tangent.

"Like, I know a scythe is a form of garden tool but my Uncle and I increased the size for better off. But for them to just extend their weapons with _dust_ alone, makes me think there might be more creative weapons in that book."

"...Yes."

"Speaking of." Ruby said joyfully "I have a feeling I know what Professor Goodwitch told you."

Blake wasn't looking at Ruby as she scan the silver road that could fool a kingdom dweller into believing that wet paper covered the way. She continued her look, thinking once again, an answer for her leader. She always had her questioning herself, like a lawyer talking to an underpaid jury, while defending a psychopath. Making them believe it's the government's fault. Ruby didn't know it yet, but she'll probably be a well liked Headmaster in theory. For her defending her students that is.

"Well you see…"

"You made a promise to us Blake." Ruby interrupted.

"Better off… To yourself."

She was spot on. More precise than what she referenced her. As if she read her leader's diary with the diary reading back the cat's thoughts.

"Your right Ruby." Blake looked up to her bow.

"She wanted me to withhold information on the forest. Well until we leave of course."

Ruby didn't want to fool with Professor's orders, but in her mind "My absence will be brief but an obstacle can be even more flitting..." stroke her brain numb. Her hungry for the unknown cried out, as if it would make the numbness go away.

"Well, you know your not doing a good job on that." Ruby said with her smile ear to cheek, making Blake smile back.

"Funny." Blake chuckled as the silver eyed rose transformed her weapon and applied the safety.

With minutes passing slower than the clouds. Blake answered her leaders questions, not spoiling the story but giving enough with less information. She knew Ruby didn't care much for the book's story. But she talked to her like she would want someone who was eight chapters in to tell her. With all that, the shadows grey blankets covered them turning the wet paper of the road to a child's skin that stayed in the tube for to damn long. The smell even changed with its feeling of walking from room to room. As if the area was constructed in a mapled covered bedroom to a broken in laundry room, with no scent of cleaning agents. "Phase 1" is starting.

Ruby and Blake had no more words to share not even a cringy line from the rose or a quotable reference from the cat. All weapons were hot but the barrels was cold as an arm with frostbite. Ruby aimed her weapon to the blanket of the clouds, with her heart rate even higher, she pulled the trigger releasing the firing pin. She rapidly fired three shots that caused no clamor. Only the smell of sweet mud that gave way to infectiousness of goose bumps. Blake with her four ears was able to hear the small group of Grimm from the north... wait even the west.

"There coming…"

"Great!"

Flair!

A Beowolf trailed the tree line like new-made gum, that uprooted dirty and bugs alike Blake wasn't surprised as she shot the dirt and roots that flared in the air. As the Beowolf clawed through sobbing, grunting and… The rocked formed roots fail on the belt of it's waist making a puppy jealous of it's painful weep. It's weep didn't even had chance to echo, as other Beowolves ran, tripped, and torn right through the praying Grimm.

Ruby just smiled as she quickly went to business noticing the number of them. Ruby flipped her weapon in position as two Beowolves dodged Blake and her stone _dust_. The length of the scythe was not judged by one of the mindless creatures, impaled by mere circumstance. The beast had no logic but knew that it's legs wasn't moving, and yet it kept up its attack without the feeling of its legs. Ruby saw this and flipped backwards while she shot a round down range cutting the rest of the beast in the air. The second beast jumped back with Ruby still spinning with her dangers scythe. The demonic wolf couldn't find any opening… Well that's what fear wanted it to believe.

Blake had five to seven on her at once. Her shadow was anonymous to some extent as the quickness of her strikes made it unreadable. She landed on a tree branch with cracked moss in it. With this she used her semblance to bounce her higher, leaving the rabid creatures to fall together. Another bone cracking sound shaped her reaction to jump without seeing the cause. With luck the Alpha missed and started falling with the bruised branches. As the Alpha fail it was swinging its claws like a broken fish. The claws shaved the scalp of another, drawing noddle Grimm blood from the canyon of claw marks while another had a jacked up brush of branches grilled into its jawline. Blake poised on a harshly small branch that gave her view of the coming Grimm. The grunts of the Grimm while in groups sounded like victims of blood suckers. Trees was still but tweaks of birds showed the Grimm moving into hoards.

"Ruby we have more."

Ruby backpedals.

"Good!"

She transformers her weapon into its gun form as she fires aimlessly.

"Lets go!"

Blake swooped down using one of the creatures to stop her fall. Her blades drove its teeth, smoothly into it's crown, akin to dreadlocks. After it's evaporation she started to follow her leaders route, they knew the plan.

* * *

**Phase 2**

This area felt opened with an old burnt oil scent that simulated the breach awhile back. The sand was grey in ash lighter than the trees but darker as you draw closer to the canyon. The canyon's opening began on a falling hill that would be a breath taker if trying to run back up the mountain of a hill. The walls edges gapped in like a bent decade leg in a dresser with its rocks like toes barely clutching on. The tree line above had birds leaving their homes because of the upcoming noises. Yang stood in her stance while Coco held her hip.

A speed of roses set the trees to bloom as the launch of momentum brought more than plants. Yang knew that wind.

"There!"

Our chocolate fitted friend swinged her purse to the right of her side at the time of Yang bursting forward with her gauntlets. A rotary machine gun that looks to hold a hell of lot _dust_ rounds made its transformation from the purse as the glare of her shades hid her eyes.

Yang was burning for action, while her clothing never charred and never scorched, her hair was the timber of energy. If you would tell a false tale to a child below ten, that her hair was the sun's incarnation.. they'll believe it… hell Yang guards it as such.

"I'm getting in position."

"Right sis."

While the sisters turned away from each other the brunette showed no fatigue or imperfections. Her gravity slash soaked the area with damped goo that quickly faded with the red roses. Flames followed as shells filled the mud like a drop of red pills in an overflowing sink. The victim's grunts started its height in pitch as more bodies melt and fade. Within seconds seven to ten Beowolves fail to the flaming void in that area, as fourteen to twenty replicas took the victim's grunts with no pitch of falter. They started their version of backpedaling as more and more Grimm took the wood line. They knew the plain.

"Ruby you good?" Coco asked.

As Ruby used her weapon to end her momentum she stared back to watch the Grimm be torn and boiled as they group up for another attack.

"Better than them."

"Tell me when you get the text from P.G."

Ruby started looking for her scroll.

"Yep."

As Ruby continued her search Coco and her shades made contact with the line of Grimm that broke the air with their victimized criers.

"Yang! Blake! Behind me!"

Yang bursted her body towards the canyon as Blake shedded her weapon to pounce off a shadow, leaving the Grimm to fight thin air. This made some of them slam into each other creating saliva that drugged the firm dirt to form spurts of mud that in return rained 7.62x51 _dust_ rounds through their slim throats. She sprayed the Grimm line like a weed eater on the edge of a drug house, but this drug house expended as the weeds crawled and even digged to stay clear from the weed eater's rounds.

Yang and Blake gave support from the sides as they took on the stragglers that devoid to caution in this encounter. The stragglers where more bony, tanned ash and wined eyes then most. They showed hatefulness, but with a plan like the girls.

"Old Beowolves and an Alpha!"

Blake screamed as she throws her weapon towards the enemy with her long ribbon still attached to her pistol. She fired it once making the weapon fling in a circle motion cutting into the Grimm with no resolve. It throw its body weight (an animal's way for a counter.) towards the girls, severing their joined power.

"No! I said behind me!"

Blake and Yang withhold their loaded rounds as they saw the incoming wave.

Gash of rusted flesh, turned to shredded weaved hair, turned to peppered smogged odor. The Alpha and old Beowolves actions was short-lived.

Blake watched, noting that Coco was in control. The way the Grimm scattered away from each other, trying to find an opening instead of a retreating. A few was able to rush her, yet they didn't even pass the roses left from Ruby. You can tell by the grip of her weapon that she was use to the chaos, the senior of them, the leader of CFVY knew the plan.

"Sis, what you looking for?"

"My… My scroll."

"You have it right?"

"I… I…"

"Left it…" Blake responded.

The girls started a daze of common knowledge. With Ruby drawing her actions in her skull. Carving it as if she would use it later, whittling her skulls walls as she thought rashly. And yet she knew the reason however she shock it off.

"Yang, your scroll!" Ruby said forceful.

She gives her sister her scroll in a pitch after the sirens of the minigun stopped. Coco had to reload!

"Ruby I don't have her scroll number."

"It's in the mission files! Just help Coco!"

Yang nodded with Blake launching another gravity slash towards the Grimm line. With Coco slaving her belt of rounds into her weapon she started to step back for more support. Coco knew they were denying the inevitable. The grass will grow without the weed eater, scissors and matchsticks was never made for a grass line.(Well in her head.) She threw her criticism aside and focused on the mission.

"Did you get that text!" Coco screamed back.

"Well… No we have a problem!"

"What?"

An alpha jumps for its score to lose its right side to the flames.

"Ruby?"

An old Beowolf ran for the score, yet it was closer than most it's lower half didn't make it.

Coco was staring at Ruby trying to see the problem, a problem that could cost them their young life's. Young life's that the grunting victims wanted to take, the shivery of life makes them grunt less. Causing pain to take away their pain is the goal and Coco didn't want their life's to be the score.

She wasn't panicking, but her backbone was shaking in. She wasn't scared, but her sweat damped her outfit. She wasn't hearing things, but she heard a gunshot from the distants as it echo through twice. She wasn't imagining things, but she saw… Green… Reflecting off the Grimm from the sky.

"What?" Coco pulled down her shades mind boggled like the Grimm. The victim crying creatures that showed no its, ands, or buts about their hatred for humanoid flesh withheld their rage to poke their ears up like a curious house dog hearing their master's magical box opening. That magical box that keeps that godly greasy meat that spoils most to all tongues in to being "picky". This devil grass stain held the tips of the towered trees. Being the limbo for the heavens of the steel grey clouds and the ever so tall forest that hid its hellish soil. The stain sprouted with the sunlight growing in centimeters pace, mocking a sponge that hangs under a leaking shower

"Ruby!"

Coco screamed again only for an echo of gunshots to mask her voice.

The shots came from the forest!

"Ruby is that the Professor?" Yang said

"A green flair… It has to be…"

"No… that was a round... A shotgun round."

Blake wasn't following but Yang knew her sister. She studied all kinds of weapons. She never mentions shotguns unless it's about their Uncle or Yang herself. She believed her sisters knowledge as she eyeballed the Grimm line that continued their grunts. They began their assault, the creatures painful howling dried the sweat off of Coco's body...

The creatures, the grass line, the grunting victims, the Grimm of mutts...

Assaulted the forest!

"Their going back to the forest!" Coco started firing again trying to in rage them to attack her.

"They're ignoring us?"

Ruby found the scroll number awhile ago but after the green flair the scroll stopped working as if the flair drained the scroll's soul. She started speculating. Yes, she was thinking of Fox who is the closest to the east wood line and how he would be outnumbered. Him being torn apart to even him out with the herd f Grimm, seeing his white eyes on the muddy ground like a pearl. Seeing Velvet running as she holds her bleeding intestate. Feeling Yatsuhashi's rage as he fights for revenge to only lose to the swarm.

"Ruby!" We have to go after them."

The little rose's eyes lit up with her weapon. As her sister saved her from her nightmarish daydream, with this she started thinking about her partner too. But not in a daydream but with action.

Her speed and roses took the lead with the others trailing her roses all loaded for a rescue. They all knew... but who else… The hunters didn't have guns to their knowledge… So who else knew the plan?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The timing for this chapter has passed its due, however I'll continue the story with the best of my free time. Please give feedback for I can better my writing ability.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for taking your time and reading this. I updated the prologue to chapters also any feedback that is good or critical will be read and appreciated. Plus I just got out of Basic training, so I'm a lot behind on the story, but all a can say is chapter 3 will be up soon.


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